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Jikke-9845 avatar image
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Jikke-9845 asked cheong00 commented

Service 'SQL Server VSS Writer' failed to start

So I am trying to install Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Express LocalDB for days now, but I am running in to the same error over and over again.

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I tried everything I could think of:
- upgrading windows by using iso (while I was on the latest version already)
- assigning both my self as the administrators group permissions to "start system services"
- starting the service by hand (il come back to this below)
- reinstalling it multiple times
- trying it on another pc (vm)


So I tried to install it on a VM which did work.
I also tried running the service manually which resulted in this error:

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I contacted Microsoft support tons of times, but they also can't help. So this is really my last chance.
Anyone knows how to fix this without needing to reinstall windows and losing all my files?

Huge thanks in advance!

sql-server-general
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As I asked in the thread you hi-jacked: are there any errors in the Windows Event Log from the attempt to start the service?

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let's move the conversation to this topic then, so to answer all your questions:

This is my home PC;
Yes the Windows event log does log an error, however it's the exact same as the popup which displays the error

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@ErlandSommarskog

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That seems to be the error from when you ran the installer. What happens if you try to start it manually?

My reaction to the error message is that you may have to run the install with "Run as Administrator".

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ErlandSommarskog avatar image
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ErlandSommarskog answered cheong00 commented

That error is not particularly helpful.

You could try to open a command-line window as Administrator and run this:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlwriter.exe"

Maybe you get some useful error message here. Although, when I tried it on my machine, the program returned immediately without any error message, so I don't have any big hopes.

I googled a little, and I found https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16160310/sql-server-vss-writer-refuses-to-start, which suggests using Process Explorer to troubleshoot. The posts also suggests that a VC distributable is missing, and includes a link.

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aa so I checked this again and this time I did actually find an error.

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I checked my system (where sqlwriter runs without problems), and I don't have that file. More precisely, there is no folder WindowsApps in C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\Microsoft.

Why it goes to look for the VC runtime in that folder - I have absolutely no clue.

You could try to put a copy of MSVCR100.DLL (which you most likely have in C:\Windows\System32) at that location), but I'm not sure that is the correct solution. Or if it is a solution at all.

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I saw that to, there is no windowsapps folder in there, I am also running the 64 bit installer wile it looks in system32.

When I make a folder and put it inside the error in Process monitor disappears, but it still gives the same errors

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FYI, that path is the "AppData\Local" folder for all process running as LocalSystem account.

And MSVCR100.DLL is the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime for VS2010 (i.e.: Visual Studio version 10),

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