[sql] Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed. Check the SQL server error log for potential causes

I m using SQL Server 2012 Developer Edition. Even I tried 2012 express and enterprise edition but all gave same error. I browsed msdn blog as well as few post on stackoverflow. But nothing help me out from this !!!

Here is the error log details

Overall summary:
Final result:                  Failed: see details below
Exit code (Decimal):           -2061893606
Start time:                    2013-10-21 12:58:05
End time:                      2013-10-21 13:52:30
Requested action:              Install

Setup completed with required actions for features.
Troubleshooting information for those features:
Next step for RS:              Use the following information to resolve the error,  uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
Next step for SQLEngine:       Use the following information to resolve the error,  uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
Next step for DQ:              Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
Next step for FullText:        Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
Next step for Replication:     Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.


Machine Properties:
  Machine name:                  CROY-TOSH
  Machine processor count:       4
  OS version:                    Windows 7
  OS service pack:               Service Pack 1
  OS region:                     United States
  OS language:                   English (United States)
  OS architecture:               x64
  Process architecture:          64 Bit
  OS clustered:                  No

Product features discovered:
  Product              Instance             Instance ID                    Feature                                       Language             Edition              Version         Clustered 

 Package properties:
   Description:                   Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1
   ProductName:                   SQL Server 2012
   Type:                          RTM
   Version:                       11
   SPLevel:                       0
   Installation location:         C:\Users\CRoy\Downloads\SQL Server 2012 Developer  Edition (x86 and x64) - DVD (English)\x64\setup\
   Installation edition:          Developer

 Product Update Status:
  None discovered.

User Input Settings:
 ACTION:                        Install
 ADDCURRENTUSERASSQLADMIN:      false
 AGTSVCACCOUNT:                 NT Service\SQLSERVERAGENT
 AGTSVCPASSWORD:                *****
 AGTSVCSTARTUPTYPE:             Manual
 ASBACKUPDIR:                   C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL     Server\MSAS11.MSSQLSERVER\OLAP\Backup
 ASCOLLATION:                   Latin1_General_CI_AI
 ASCONFIGDIR:                   C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL     Server\MSAS11.MSSQLSERVER\OLAP\Config
 ASDATADIR:                     C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL  Server\MSAS11.MSSQLSERVER\OLAP\Data
 ASLOGDIR:                      C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSAS11.MSSQLSERVER\OLAP\Log
ASPROVIDERMSOLAP:              1
ASSERVERMODE:                  MULTIDIMENSIONAL
ASSVCACCOUNT:                  NT Service\MSSQLServerOLAPService
ASSVCPASSWORD:                 <empty>
ASSVCSTARTUPTYPE:              Automatic
ASSYSADMINACCOUNTS:            CRoy-TOSH\CRoy
ASTEMPDIR:                     C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL   Server\MSAS11.MSSQLSERVER\OLAP\Temp
BROWSERSVCSTARTUPTYPE:         Disabled
CLTCTLRNAME:                   ROY
CLTRESULTDIR:                  C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL  Server\DReplayClient\ResultDir\
CLTSTARTUPTYPE:                Manual
CLTSVCACCOUNT:                 NT Service\SQL Server Distributed Replay Client
CLTSVCPASSWORD:                <empty>
CLTWORKINGDIR:                 C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\DReplayClient\WorkingDir\
COMMFABRICENCRYPTION:          0
COMMFABRICNETWORKLEVEL:        0
COMMFABRICPORT:                0
CONFIGURATIONFILE:             C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20131021_125116\ConfigurationFile.ini
CTLRSTARTUPTYPE:               Manual
CTLRSVCACCOUNT:                NT Service\SQL Server Distributed Replay Controller
CTLRSVCPASSWORD:               <empty>
CTLRUSERS:                     CRoy-TOSH\CRoy
ENABLERANU:                    false
ENU:                           true
ERRORREPORTING:                true
FEATURES:                      SQLENGINE, REPLICATION, FULLTEXT, DQ, AS, RS, RS_SHP,  RS_SHPWFE, DQC, BIDS, CONN, IS, BC, SDK, BOL, SSMS, ADV_SSMS, DREPLAY_CTLR, DREPLAY_CLT,  SNAC_SDK, MDS
FILESTREAMLEVEL:               2
FILESTREAMSHARENAME:           MSSQLSERVER
FTSVCACCOUNT:                  NT Service\MSSQLFDLauncher
FTSVCPASSWORD:                 <empty>
HELP:                          false
IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS:  false
INDICATEPROGRESS:              false
INSTALLSHAREDDIR:              C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\
INSTALLSHAREDWOWDIR:           C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\
INSTALLSQLDATADIR:             <empty>
INSTANCEDIR:                   C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\
INSTANCEID:                    MSSQLSERVER
INSTANCENAME:                  MSSQLSERVER
ISSVCACCOUNT:                  NT Service\MsDtsServer110
ISSVCPASSWORD:                 <empty>
ISSVCSTARTUPTYPE:              Automatic
MATRIXCMBRICKCOMMPORT:         0
MATRIXCMSERVERNAME:            <empty>
MATRIXNAME:                    <empty>
NPENABLED:                     0
PID:                           *****
QUIET:                         false
QUIETSIMPLE:                   false
ROLE:                          <empty>
RSINSTALLMODE:                 DefaultNativeMode
RSSHPINSTALLMODE:              SharePointFilesOnlyMode
RSSVCACCOUNT:                  NT Service\ReportServer
RSSVCPASSWORD:                 <empty>
RSSVCSTARTUPTYPE:              Automatic
SAPWD:                         *****
SECURITYMODE:                  SQL
SQLBACKUPDIR:                  <empty>
SQLCOLLATION:                  Latin1_General_CI_AI
SQLSVCACCOUNT:                 NT Service\MSSQLSERVER
 SQLSVCPASSWORD:                *****
 SQLSVCSTARTUPTYPE:             Automatic
 SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS:           CRoy-TOSH\CRoy
 SQLTEMPDBDIR:                  <empty>
 SQLTEMPDBLOGDIR:               <empty>
 SQLUSERDBDIR:                  <empty>
 SQLUSERDBLOGDIR:               <empty>
 SQMREPORTING:                  false
 TCPENABLED:                    0
 UIMODE:                        Normal
 UpdateEnabled:                 true
 UpdateSource:                  MU
 X86:                           false

 Configuration file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20131021_125116\ConfigurationFile.ini

Detailed results:
Feature:                       Management Tools - Complete
Status:                        Passed

Feature:                       Client Tools Connectivity
Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       Client Tools SDK
 Status:                        Passed

Feature:                       Client Tools Backwards Compatibility
Status:                        Passed

Feature:                       Management Tools - Basic
Status:                        Passed

Feature:                       SQL Server Data Tools
Status:                        Passed

Feature:                       Reporting Services - Native
Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
Reason for failure:            An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
 Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
 Component error code:          0x851A001A
 Error description:             Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed. Check the SQL Server error log for potential causes.
 Error help link:               http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=11.0.3128.0&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026

 Feature:                       Database Engine Services
 Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
  Reason for failure:            An error occurred during the setup process of the feature.
 Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error,  uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
 Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
 Component error code:          0x851A001A
 Error description:             Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed. Check the SQL Server error log for potential causes.
 Error help link:               http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=11.0.3128.0&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026

 Feature:                       Data Quality Services
 Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
 Reason for failure:            An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
 Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
 Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
 Component error code:          0x851A001A
 Error description:             Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed. Check the SQL Server error log for potential causes.
 Error help link:               http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=11.0.3128.0&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026

 Feature:                       Full-Text and Semantic Extractions for Search
 Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
 Reason for failure:            An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
  Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error,  uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
  Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
  Component error code:          0x851A001A
  Error description:             Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed. Check the SQL Server error log for potential causes.
  Error help link:               http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=11.0.3128.0&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026

 Feature:                       SQL Server Replication
 Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
 Reason for failure:            An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
 Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error,  uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
 Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
 Component error code:          0x851A001A
 Error description:             Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed. Check the SQL Server error log for potential causes.
 Error help link:               http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=11.0.3128.0&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4026

 Feature:                       Master Data Services
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       Distributed Replay Client
 Status:                        Passed

  Feature:                       Distributed Replay Controller
  Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       Integration Services
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       Data Quality Client
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       Analysis Services
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       Reporting Services - SharePoint
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       Reporting Services Add-in for SharePoint Products
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       SQL Browser
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       Documentation Components
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       SQL Writer
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       SQL Client Connectivity
 Status:                        Passed

 Feature:                       SQL Client Connectivity SDK
 Status:                        Passed

 Rules with failures:

 Global rules:

 Scenario specific rules:

 Rules report file:               C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20131021_125116\SystemConfigurationCheck_Report.htm

Here is few links

Blog MSDN

StackOverflow1

StackOverflow2

This post is high up when you google that error message, which I got when installing security patch KB4505224 on SQL Server 2017 Express i.e. None of the above worked for me, but did consume several hours trying.

The solution for me, partly from here was:

1. uninstall SQL Server
2. in Regional Settings / Management / System Locale, "Beta: UTF-8 support" should be OFF
3. re-install SQL Server
4. Let Windows install the patch.

And all was well.

More on this here.

In my case, setting SQL Server Database Engine service startup account to NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE failed, but setting it to NT Authority\System allowed me to succesfully install my SQL Server 2016 STD instance.

Just check the following snapshot.

For further details, check @Shanky's answer at https://dba.stackexchange.com/a/71798/66179

Remember: you can avoid server rebooting using setup's SkipRules switch:

setup.exe /ACTION=INSTALL /SkipRules=RebootRequiredCheck

setup.exe /ACTION=UNINSTALL /SkipRules=RebootRequiredCheck

Simple Steps

1. 1 Open SQL Server Configuration Manager
2. Under SQL Server Services Select Your Server
3. Right Click and Select Properties
4. Log on Tab Change Built-in-account tick
5. in the drop down list select Network Service
6. Apply and start The service

Below worked for me:

When you come to Server Configuration Screen, Change the Account Name of Database Engine Service to NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE and continue installation and it will successfully install all components without any error. - See more at: https://superpctricks.com/sql-install-error-database-engine-recovery-handle-failed/

Root cause: Corrupted user profile of user account used to start database

The main thread here seems to be a corrupted user account profile for the account that is used to start the DB engine. This is the account that was specified for the "SQL Server Database" engine during installation. In the setup event log, it's also indicated by the following entry:

SQLSVCACCOUNT:                 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM

According to the link provided by @royki:

The root cause of this issue, in most cases, is that the profile of the user being used for the service account (in my case it was local system) is corrupted.

This would explain why other respondents had success after changing to different accounts:

• bmjjr suggests changing to "NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE"
• comments to @bmjjr indicate different accounts "I used NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE. That helped too"
• @Julio Nobre had success with "NT Authority\System "

Fix: reset the corrupt user profile

To fix the user profile that's causing the error, follow the steps listed KB947215.

The main steps from KB947215 are summarized as follows:-

1. Open regedit
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

3. Navigate to the SID for the corrupted profile

   To find the SID, click on each SID GUID, review the value for the ProfileImagePath value, and see if it's the correct account. For system accounts, there's a different way to know the SID for the account that failed:

The main system account SIDs of interest are:

SID          Name               Also Known As
S-1-5-18     Local System       NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
S-1-5-19     LocalService       NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE
S-1-5-20     NetworkService     NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE

For information on additional SIDs, see Well-known security identifiers in Windows operating systems.

4. If there are two entries (e.g. with a .bak) at the end for the SID in question, or the SID in question ends in .bak, ensure to follow carefully the steps in the KB947215 article.
5. Reset the values for RefCount and State to be 0.
6. Reboot.
7. Retry the SQL Server installation.