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SQL Server Setup Help | |
How to: Read a SQL Server 2008 Setup Log File | |
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Installing SQL Server 2008 > Installation How-to Topics > |
SQL Server Setup creates log files for each SQL Server component during installation; logging starts as soon as Setup.exe is launched.
To read a SQL Server Setup log file
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Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the following location:
<drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\LOG
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Open the Summary.txt file. Look through it for error messages.
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If you do not find information in the Summary.txt file that tells you what failed, open the SQLSetup[xxxx].cab file in the same root directory.
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If this .cab file does not exist, open up the CORE log file from:
<drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Files
Look at the most recently modified core log: SQLSetup[xxxx]_[ComputerName]_Core.log.
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If an error was shown in the user interface during Setup, look for this log: SQLSetup[xxxx][s]_[ComputerName]_WI.log.
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When parsing a SQLSetup_[xxxx] log file, search the file for 'UE 3'. This is short for 'Return Value 3'.
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If a component failed during installation, open the log file SQLSetup[xxxx]_[ComputerName]_SQL.log, and perform the 'UE 3' search to scan for errors.