Have you ever encountered a situation where you tried to change the ERRORLOG location in SQL Server Configuration Manager, only to find that there were no parameters listed? If so, you may have come across the error related to empty startup parameters. In this article, we will explore this issue and provide a solution.

When I recently encountered this behavior while testing a scenario for a client, I was surprised and puzzled. I logged into my virtual machine, which serves as my lab environment, and attempted to change the ERRORLOG location. However, to my surprise, there were no parameters listed in the configuration manager.

After investigating further, I discovered that the startup parameters are actually stored in the registry key. Specifically, they can be found in the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQLServer\Parameters

Upon clicking on the parameter key, I was greeted with an empty box. It became clear that the configuration manager was displaying an empty list due to a permission issue on the registry key.

To confirm this, I checked another working machine and found that the permission for the registry key was restricted to the Administrators group, the SYSTEM account, and the Service SID.

The solution to this issue is simple. To view the startup parameters in SQL Server Configuration Manager, you need to log into the machine with an account that has Administrator privileges. In my case, I was logged in with a normal user account, which explained why I couldn’t see the startup parameters. Once I logged off and logged in with an Administrator account, the startup parameters were visible as expected.

It’s important to note that this issue may not be limited to just the ERRORLOG location. If you encounter a similar situation where the startup parameters are not visible in SQL Server Configuration Manager, it’s worth checking the permissions on the registry key mentioned above.

Do you have similar restrictions in your production environment? It’s always a good practice to ensure that the necessary permissions are in place to avoid any unexpected behavior or errors.

Thank you for reading this article. We hope it has provided you with a better understanding of the error related to empty startup parameters in SQL Server Configuration Manager. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.