Installing the SQL Express 2016 on Windows 10 fails. Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed.

Issue

• Installing the SQL Express 2016 included in the PME2020 iso file (13.1.4001.0) or directly downloaded from the Microsoft download center fails with error messages such as:

“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.”

• Installing the SQL Express 2016 downloaded from the Microsoft download center fails with error message such as

• The SQL service won’t start normally.
• The SQL service can be forced to start with trace flag 902 to bypass upgrade script and fix the cause of upgrade script failures (See link 2)

Environment

• Windows 10 Professional (x64 bits)
• Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (10.0.18363)

• Since the April Windows 10 update there has been an option "Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support" when setting regions.
• SQL Express 2016 did not install correctly, “something" broke in such a way that the SQL Server master database was not able to come online, and the SQL services did not start properly.

• Uninstall SQL Express
• Go to the control panel
• Click on regional settings
• Go to the administrative tab.
• Go to the language for non-unicode programs “Change system locale…”settings button
• Uncheck the checkbox use utf-8 for the language support in all the world

• When prompted, restart your computer. Then, you can deploy the SQL installation and should run successfully
• Additional information: You might need to make sure the current windows user has been granted privileges to deploy the installation. Refer to link 3 for more information.

Released for:Schneider Electric Egypt and North East Africa