One of the common questions that often comes up after applying a patch update to SQL Server is how to start the server. In this article, we will discuss the steps to start SQL Server after a patch update and address some common issues that may arise.

Error Messages

When starting SQL Server after a patch update, you may encounter error messages in the SQL Application log. One such error message is “Script level upgrade for database ‘master’ failed because upgrade step ‘sqlagent100_msdb_upgrade.sql’ encountered error 598, state 1, severity 25.” This error indicates a serious condition that may interfere with regular operation and cause the database to be taken offline.

Another error message you may encounter is “CREATE FILE encountered operating system error 5(Access is denied.) while attempting to open or create the physical file ‘C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\temp_MS_AgentSigningCertificate_database.mdf’.” This error occurs when the SQL Server service does not have the necessary permissions to create or open the specified file.

Solution

To resolve the issue of SQL Server not starting after a patch update, you need to check the permissions of the service account for SQL Server. In the case mentioned in the example, the service account was set to the Network Service, which did not have the necessary permissions to access the required files.

To fix this, you can either change the service account to the Local System account or provide the necessary permissions to the Network Service account. By granting the appropriate permissions, the SQL Server service will be able to create the required temporary database and complete the script upgrade.

Conclusion

Starting SQL Server after a patch update may sometimes result in error messages and prevent the server from starting. By checking the permissions of the service account and granting the necessary access, you can resolve these issues and successfully start SQL Server after a patch update.