One DBA's Ongoing Search for Clarity in the Middle of Nowhere


*or*

Yet Another Andy Writing About SQL Server

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Error 1053 While Installing SQL 2005 on Windows 2003

We are moving an old SQL 2005/Windows 2003 server from one blade to another (retiring old blade chasses due to switching hardware vendors) and unfortunately can not move it to Windows 2008 or SQL 2008 due to lack of vendor support (sigh).

As such, I was installing SQL 2005 on the new Windows 2003 SP2 box and during the install I received the following error for the Database service itself:

Unable to start service (1053)
Error Code: 0x8007041d (1053)
Windows Error Text: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion.


I turned to my trusty troubleshooting tool of choice and Google'd the hex error code, which brought me to the Microsoft Support Page On a computer that has a multicore processor, you may be unable to install SQL Server 2005.

Sure enough, I was installing on a blade with two multi-core CPU's (Dual Socket AMD with 6 cores each) so I continued to read down the KB article.  There are two workaround methods listed for Windows 2003, and the first method (expanding the SP file and using the HOTFIXPATCH switch to slipstream the SP into the install) didn't work.  I still received the message that the SQL Service would not start.

Sigh.

I almost went looking for a different answer but decided first to at least try the second option - manually changing the number of logical processors visible to 1 using msconfig.  I followed the KB steps, checked Add/Remove Programs to see that it didn't show a SQL instance installed, and tried running the SQL install again, only to have the installer tell me that there is already a default instance of SQL 2005 present on my machine!

ARGH!

I opened Add/Remove Programs and removed everything SQL-related that was listed, and ran the install again - SUCCESS!  I then applied the SP, rebooted the machine, used msconfig to revert to "Normal Startup" and all was well.

Now I just need to remember this next time!