Have you ever encountered an error message related to event id 26 while trying to start a SQL Server named instance? The error message might have said something like “Your SQL Server Installation is Either Corrupt or has Been Tampered With (Error Getting Instance Name)”. In this article, we will discuss this error and how to resolve it.

When attempting to start the SQL Service for a named instance, you may have received the following error message:

“Windows could not start the SQL Server (SOFTWARE) service on Local Computer. Error 1067: The process terminated unexpectedly.”

Upon checking the event log, you might have found additional error messages such as:

Error Messages 1: The SQL Server (SOFTWARE) service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 4 time(s).

Error Message 2: Application popup: SQL Server: Your SQL Server installation is either corrupt or has been tampered with (Error getting instance name.). Please uninstall then re-run setup to correct this problem.

These error messages provide some hints about the issue, but you may not be entirely sure what steps to take next. Fortunately, there is a solution.

One possible cause of the “Error getting instance name” is an incorrect mapping between the instance ID and name. To investigate this, you can navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL

Within this key, you will find a mapping for the instance name “SOFTWARE”. In our case, it was mapped to “MSSQL13.SOFTWARE”. However, upon inspection, you may discover that someone has renamed the “MSSQL13.SOFTWARE” key to “MSSQL13.SOFTWARE1”. This renaming can cause the error you encountered.

To resolve this issue, simply rename the key back to its original name (“MSSQL13.SOFTWARE” in our example). Once you have done this, try starting the SQL Service again. The error should be resolved.

If you are still experiencing difficulties or would like to further investigate the cause of such errors, you can try starting SQLServr.exe via the command prompt. This may provide a more meaningful error message that can help in troubleshooting the issue.

It is worth noting that the identity of the person who renamed the key remains a mystery. However, by following the steps outlined in this article, you can successfully resolve the “Error Getting Instance Name” issue and get your SQL Server up and running again.

We hope this article has been helpful in addressing this common SQL Server error. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to reach out to us.