On a computer that has a multicore processor, you may be unable to install SQL Server 2005

Consider the following scenario. You try to install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 on a computer that has a multicore processor, and one of the following conditions is true:

• The ratio between logical processors and physical sockets is not a power of 2. For example, the computer has a single socket together with a triple-core processor.
• The number of physical cores is not a power of 2.
• The total number of CPUs is an odd number. For example, there are seven or nine CPUs.

In these scenarios, you cannot install SQL Server 2005.

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

Method 1

Follow these steps before you install SQL Server 2005:

1. Copy the setup files of the release version of SQL Server 2005 to a folder in a local drive.
   
   Note You must copy all the setup files that include the Servers folder and the Tools folder to a local drive.
2. Download the SQL Server 2005 SP2 or SP3 package, and then expand it on the local drive by using the /X parameter. For example, run the following command to expand the package:
   SQLServer2005SP2-KB921896-x64-ENU.exe /X
   For more information about how to obtain SQL Server 2005 SP2 or SP3, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   913089

   (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913089/ )

   How to obtain the latest service pack for SQL Server 2005
3. Note the full paths to the new .msp files in the expanded update package. For example:
   D:\temp\SP2\hotfixsql\files\sqlrun_sql.msp
4. At the command prompt, run the Setup.exe file from the release version by using the appropriate path to involve the new .msp file in the setup.
   
   For example, the following command uses the update package to update the SQL Server Database Engine component to the service pack level:
   D:\temp\Servers\setup.exe HOTFIXPATCH="D:\temp\SQL2005_12Procs\SP2\hotfixsql\files\sqlrun_sql.msp"
   Note  After you complete this step, the installation of SQL Server 2005 is in a configuration that is unsupported until you have applied the SQL Server service pack.
5. Apply the service pack package by running the setup file(s) in the expanded location. This step applies all service pack components and returns the installation of SQL Server 2005 to a supported state. 

Method 2

Before you install SQL Server 2005, temporarily change the number of logical processors to one. This makes the computer appear to be a single-processor system, and SQL Server 2005 is installed successfully. To do this, follow these steps:

Windows Server 2003

1. To change the number of logical processors in Windows Server 2003, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
   2. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click the BOOT.INI tab.
   3. On the BOOT.INI tab, click Advanced Options.
   4. In the BOOT.INI Advanced Options dialog box, click to select the /NUMPROC= check box.
   5. In the list that is next to the /NUMPROC= check box, click 1, and then click OK.
   6. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click OK.
   7. Restart the server.
2. Install SQL Server 2005.
3. Install the latest service pack for SQL Server 2005.
   
   For more information about how to obtain the latest SQL Server 2005 service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   913089

   (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913089/ )

   How to obtain the latest service pack for SQL Server 2005
4. Restart the server by using all the processors. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
   2. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, click the General tab.
   3. On the General tab, click Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services, and then click OK.
   4. Restart the server.

Windows Server 2008

1. To change the number of logical processors in Windows Server 2008, follow these steps::
   1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
   2. In the System Configuration dialog box, click the Boot tab.
   3. On the Boot tab, click Advanced options.
   4. In the BOOT Advanced Options dialog box, click to select the Number of processors check box.
   5. Under the Number of processors check box, click 1, and then click OK.
   6. In the System Configuration dialog box, click OK.
   7. Restart the server.
2. Install SQL Server 2005.
3. Install the latest service pack for SQL Server 2005.
   
   Note You must install SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 (SP2) or a later service pack on Windows Server 2008.
   
   For more information about how to obtain the latest SQL Server 2005 service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   913089

   (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913089/ )

   How to obtain the latest service pack for SQL Server 2005
4. Restart the server by using all the processors. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and then click OK.
   2. In the System Configuration dialog box, click the General tab.
   3. On the General tab, click Normal startup, and then click OK.
   4. Restart the server.

Alternate Workaround Steps

The following are conditions in which the common workaround methods are insufficient:

• At the time that you receive the failure to start SQL Server during setup, you are presented with a Retry option. Now, replace the Sqlservr.exe and Sqlos.dll files into the BINN folder at your install location from a Service Pack 2 (SP2) installation, and then select the Retry option. This enables SQL Server to start and complete the setup.
  Note You are now in a production situation.
• Immediately apply SQL Server SP2, and you are back in a supported configuration.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1.

SQL Server 2005 Setup does not integrate any SQL Server 2005 service packs. To install SQL Server 2005 to a specific service pack level, you must install the release version of SQL Server 2005 first. Then, you must install the required SQL Server 2005 service pack. Therefore, although this problem is fixed in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (SP1), you still cannot install SQL Server 2005.

SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is a stand-alone package that integrates a specific SQL Server 2005 service pack. When you perform a fresh installation of SQL Server 2005 Express Edition that integrates a specific SQL Server 2005 service pack, SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is running at that service pack level. Therefore, in the scenario that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section, you can successfully install SQL Server 2005 Express Edition together with the integrated service pack.

To download SQL Server 2005 Express Edition together with the latest SQL Server 2005 service pack, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

For more information, visit the following Microsoft Web site: