Error message when you install SQL Server 2008 RTM on a localized (non-English) Windows Server 2003 version: "SQLBrowser start request failed"

On a computer running a localized (i.e. non-English) Windows Server 2003 version you try to install an instance of SQL Server 2008 RTM. During the setup process the installation fails with the following error:


When you click on the Retry button the error happens again. When you click on the Cancel button the intallation fails.

The Detail.txt setup log file for SQL Server 2008 can be found under the C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS setup folder, where YYYYMMD_HHMMSS refers to the date and time when the installation took place. When you open this Detail.txt setup file you will find the following error:

2009-05-13 17:25:13 SQLBrowser: The last attempted operation: Starting the SQL Server Browser
service 'SQLBrowser', and waiting for up to '900' seconds for the process to complete.
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure:
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: --------------------------------------
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp:
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException 2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: Message:
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: Service ‘SQLBrowser’ start request failed.
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: Data:
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: Feature = SQL_Browser_Redist_SqlBrowser_Cpu32
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: Timing = Startup
2009-05-13 17:25:13 Slp: DisableRetry = true

Additionally, when you open the Summary.txt file located on the SQL Server \Setup\Bootstratp\Log folder the following error is reported:

Detailed results:
Feature: Database Services 
Status: Failure  
MSI status: Failure 
MSI error code: 0x5EBE5729 
MSI log file location: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20090513_170659\Msxml6_Cpu32_1.log

The MSXML 6.0 SP1 component is installed as part of the SQL Server 2008 RTM setup. In a non-English Windows Server version with MSXML 6.0 SP2 installed MSXML 6.0 SP1 installation is blocked causing the SQL Server 2008 setup to fail.

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods:

Method 1 (recommended)

Because this problem has been fixed in SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1, use a slipstreamed SQL Server 2008 media to perform the installation. Slipstreamed SQL Server 2008 media integrates service packs and hotfixes on the original setup media providing a way to install and update a new SQL Server 2008 instance in a single step. Click the following MSDN blog link to know more about this process:

Creating a merged (slipstreamed) drop containing SQL Server 2008 RTM + Service Pack 1 (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/petersad/archive/2009/02/25/sql-server-2008-creating-a-merged-slisptream-drop.aspx)

Method 2

Uninstall the MSXML 6.0 Service Pack 2 (KB973686) from the Add or Remove Programs applet in Control Panel and then retry the SQL Server 2008 installation. After the SQL Server 2008 installation completes successfully, reinstall the MSXML 6.0 SP2 component. 

The error reported for SQL Server Browser during the setup process is misleading and does not indicate a problem in the Browser component. The error reported in the Summary.txt setup log file points to the setup log for the MSXML 6.0 component (Msxml6_Cpu32_1.log). This log contains the original error that is blocking the installation:

MSI (s) (30:58) [17:22:37:661]: Note: 1: 1708
MSI (s) (30:58) [17:22:37:661]: Product: MSXML 6.0 Parser (KB933579) – Installation error.
MSI (s) (30:58) [17:22:37:661]: Windows Installer installed the product. Product Name: MSXML 6.0 Parser (KB933579). Product Version: 6.10.1200.0. Product Language: 3082. Installation success or error status: 1603.
MSI (s) (30:58) [17:22:37:661]: Cleaning up uninstalled install packages, if any exist
MSI (s) (30:58) [17:22:37:661]: MainEngineThread is returning 1603
MSI (s) (30:68) [17:22:37:770]: No System Restore sequence number for this installation.

In the sequence of errors reported in the Detail.txt setup log file you will be able to see that the MSXML 6.0 error is previous to the SQL Server Browser error. This is an example of the MSXML 6.0 error on the Detail.txt setup log file:

2009-05-13 17:22:36 Slp: Running Action: Install_Msxml6_Cpu32_Action
2009-05-13 17:22:36 Slp: Target package: "D:\x86\setup\x86\msxml6.msi"
2009-05-13 17:22:37 Slp: InstallPackage: MsiInstallProduct returned the result code 1603.
2009-05-13 17:22:38 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20090514_170659\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Microsoft SQL Server.reg_
2009-05-13 17:22:38 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20090514_170659\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Windows_CurrentVersion_Uninstall.reg_
2009-05-13 17:22:38 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20090514_170659\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_MSSQLServer.reg_
2009-05-13 17:22:43 Slp:
2009-05-13 17:22:43 Slp: Watson bucket for Msi based failure has been created
2009-05-13 17:22:43 Slp: No retry-able MSI return code detected.
2009-05-13 17:22:43 Slp: Checkpoint: INSTALL_MSXML6_CPU32_ACTION
2009-05-13 17:22:43 Slp: Completed Action: Install_Msxml6_Cpu32_Action, returned False
2009-05-13 17:22:43 Slp: Error: Action "Install_Msxml6_Cpu32_Action" failed during execution.

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