Published on

April 24, 2016

Understanding SQL Server Setup Error Messages

As a SQL Server performance tuning expert, I often come across various challenges and questions from my clients. Recently, during a tuning exercise, a client had a side question about a setup error they encountered while installing SQL Server 2012 on a virtual machine. This unexpected question led me to discover a simple yet useful trick that I want to share with you today.

When the client shared the error message with me, it appeared as a dialog box with the following content:

TITLE: SQL Server 2012 Setup
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There are validation errors on this page. Click OK to close this dialog box. Review errors at the bottom of the setup page, then provide valid parameters or click Help for more information.
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BUTTONS: OK

Upon expanding the details, we found the following error message:

[Error Message] SQL Server Setup was not able to access domain 'WinNT://NT AUTHORITY' to validate user account 'SERVICE'. This may happen when there are network issues.
[Details] Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Agent.InputValidationException: SQL Server Setup was not able to access domain 'WinNT://NT AUTHORITY' to validate user account 'SERVICE'. This may happen when there are network issues.

After analyzing the error message, we realized that the issue was related to the service account. To resolve it, we changed the service account to “Local System,” and the installation process proceeded successfully.

While this specific error message may not be relevant to everyone, the key takeaway here is the handy trick we discovered during this troubleshooting process. By pressing Ctrl + C when a Windows popup message appears, you can easily copy the text of the error message. This simple shortcut can save you time and make it easier to share error messages with others for troubleshooting purposes.

Next time you encounter an error message in SQL Server or any other Windows application, give this shortcut a try. It’s a small but valuable tip that can make your troubleshooting experience more efficient.

Stay tuned for more SQL Server tips and tricks!

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