PRB: SQL Server Fails to Start During Installation

ID Number: Q66709

1.00 1.10 1.11 4.20

OS/2

Summary:

SYMPTOMS

When SQL Server tries to start during installation, the following

error message is displayed:

Unable to start SQL Server.

CAUSE

Either hardware or software problems were encountered while Setup

was trying to start SQL Server.

RESOLUTION

The following are several reasons why the SQL Server service may

be unable to start during the installation process:

- There is not enough room on your hard disk for the OS/2 swap

file (SWAPPER.DAT). Make sure you have at least 15 to 20 MB of

free space on the hard disk where your SWAPPER.DAT file is

located. Starting up SQL Server may use 8 MB or more of disk

space for the SWAPPER.DAT file.

- The NUMSERVICES parameter is set too low. On both Microsoft's

OS/2 LAN Manager and IBM's LAN Server, you must set the

NUMSERVICES parameter high enough to handle all of the services

the server can run. This parameter is located in the IBMLAN.INI

file for IBM LAN Server, and in the LANMAN.INI file for OS/2

LAN Manager.

- You may be experiencing a hardware problem: the SQLSERVR.EXE

file may have been installed on a bad disk sector. Run the

CHKDSK utility to determine if the problem might be hardware

related. If it is a bad disk sector, run CHKDSK with the Fix

option and completely reinstall SQL Server.

- The wrong CONFIG.SYS file may have been updated. During the

installation, when SQL Server modifies the CONFIG.SYS file, it

modifies the first CONFIG.* file it finds. Therefore, when SQL

Server is being started, the PATH in the CONFIG.SYS file may

not have been set properly. Consequently, you will not be

allowed to start the SQL Server service unless you are located

in the C:\SQL\BINP subdirectory.

Note: This problem should not be related to the sharing of IPC$.

This problem would show up during the first part of the

installation process, during the checking of the system

configuration.

Additional reference words: 1.00 1.10 1.11 4.20