"Oops" error while installing SQL Server 2017 developer edition on Windows 10

Question

I'm trying to install SQL Server 2017 Developer edition with "Basic" installation type but it gives below error message:

Oops...

Unable to install SQL Server (setup.exe).

Build version it is trying to install is 14.1710.3866.2

I've already tried running the installer several time but I got the very same error screen every time. Also tried launching the installer with administrative privileges but no luck.

Does anyone has any idea about this mysterious error message and how to overcome it? It doesn't point me to any log file which I can look into to get some idea about why it is happening on my machine. I downloaded the setup from official MS website here.

Update: With help from @TheGameiswar I was able to locate the log files for the installation attempts. Only relevant things which I could find from a file named Detail_Rules.txt was as below:

(01) 2017-11-17 14:37:43 Slp: Neither the localized version nor the ENU help .chm file exist in the media. This could mean that there is no appropriate help file to display on the UI. Error message: The help .chm file 'C:\SQLServer2017Media\RulesEng\1033_ENU_LP\x64\1033\help\s11ch_setup.chm' is missing from the media..

I'm not sure if it is the root cause of the error.

Borlow

Check this: social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/… and post your logs – Illfavored

Don't you have installation log file – Festschrift

You will definitely have setup logs ,try sharing them..%programfiles%\Microsoft sql server\130\setup bootstrap\log – Festschrift

I think for SQL2017 you may have to replace 130 with 140 – Festschrift

@Festschrift the setup that you get from MS site is a .exe file. Kind of a bootstrapper which internally downloads the actual files over internet. I tried the command SQLServer2017-SSEI-Dev.exe /L*v "d:\sqlInstallLog.txt" option that I use with MSI files but it didn't create any log file in D: drive – Borlow

Can you share an entire of repro of how you are installing – Festschrift

@Festschrift you were right. I can see the log directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\140\Setup Bootstrap\Log. For each new run it is creating new folder inside Log folder in the name of timestamp e.g. 20171117_143724. – Borlow

Can you download the media offline and try installing – Festschrift

Seems like a question for DBA or ServerFault, not SO. – Tinkling

Answer 1

Neither the localized version nor the ENU help .chm file exist in the media. This could mean that there is no appropriate help file to display on the UI. Error message: The help .chm file 'C:\SQLServer2017Media\RulesEng\1033_ENU_LP\x64\1033\help\s11ch_setup.chm' is missing from the media

As per my understanding,this issue arises when setup files are not downloaded completely..

You may have to download entire setup first and install it later as shown in screenshot below

Festschrift

Thanks. This worked! An additional note: If you already had failed attempts like me then make sure to delete the %programfiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\140 folder before starting the fresh installation with downloaded media. If the remains of older installation attempt aren't removed then the downloaded installer starts giving error that an older setup is already in progress. I was able to run the installer from downloaded media only after I deleted the folder mentioned above. – Borlow

Answer 2

If anyone is still having issues with this. Instead of choosing the basic installation, I choose the custom options. It took a few more minute than it would have taken with the basic. Maybe this will work.

Skier