MSSQLServer not starting

Question

MSSQLServer not starting

Lisa Lee

Grasshopper

Points: 24
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February 8, 2006 at 2:54 pm

#152747

This is my very first posting... I'm a fairly new SQL Admin and I am having a problem with MSSQLServer not starting. This problem started 2 days ago. Before that, everything seem to be working fine. When I try to start the service, I'm getting the following error:
"...Could not open error log file 'E:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\log\ERRORLOG'. Operating system error = 3(The system cannot find the path specified.)
That's pretty straight forward, however, I don't have an E: on my machine. Is there a way to change where the path points to the log files?

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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TriggerMe SSChampion Points: 11752 More actions · Answer 1

Are you able to start SQL Server in single user mode? If so you can then maybe change the path to the error log file path.

Kindest Regards,

gcp777 Ten Centuries Points: 1059 More actions · Answer 2

Check the directory that it is supposed to be in, and then use the Startup Options -e flag to start sqlservr.exe

Sounds like you have a bad entry in your registry.

-eerror_log_ path The fully qualified path for the error log file (typically, C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Log\Errorlog). If you do not provide this option, the existing registry parameters are used.

Check Books On Line for sqlservr and follow the link for Using Startup Options.

Lisa Lee Grasshopper Points: 24 More actions · Answer 3

I tried changing the path with -e startup option with no success. I got an error which stated that it could not find the path to the master database. So I tried changing the path to the master database with the -d option and it said it could not find the error log again.

I also tried starting in single user mode with no success. Got the error log message.

vadba SSChampion Points: 11133 More actions · Answer 4

You could check the registry on the server for this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\MSSQLServer\Parameters

There will be several SQLArg's (SQLArg0, SQLArg1, etc). Note the paths there. Verify the folder locations of your data files and error logs ( MSSQL\Data and MSSQL\Log ). You can then change the registry to match.

Lisa Lee Grasshopper Points: 24 More actions · Answer 5

I changed the registry for the 3 startup options. It looks like all the database files are gone. Do I have to change the location of all the database files also? If so, is that change made in the registy?

vadba SSChampion Points: 11133 More actions · Answer 6

Are you sure the paths you specified for the master database (master.mdf) and the master log file (mastlog.ldf) are the correct ones? All of the information for your other databases are stored in master. If its blank, maybe the master database was rebuilt or accidently wiped out. Do you have any backups? Maybe there is another master.mdf somewhere else on the server. Did your server have an E: drive that someone removed? Obviously, something has happened recently to cause this problem.

If all else fails, if you can find all of the database files (.mdf) and their associated log files (.ldf), you could try to attach them using Enterprise Manager or running the stored procedure sp_attach_db (or sp_attach_single_file_db).