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services.exe D:\MSSQL\MSSQL17.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\SQLAGENT.EXE ACCESS DENIED
I've been getting failed installs with SQL Server Developer Standard Edition on Windows 2025 Standard edition, error has been:
| services.exe | 1000 | QueryOpen | D:\MSSQL\MSSQL17.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\sqlceip.exe | ACCESS DENIED |
| services.exe | 1000 | QueryOpen | D:\MSSQL\MSSQL17.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\SQLAGENT.EXE | ACCESS DENIED |
I ended up granting local admin rights to the service account I'm using for the SQL Server, whcih allowed the install to complete but still had the same error on sqlceip.exe. I'm logged in to the server the install is running on, as a Domain Admin.
The detail file from the setup bootstrap files shows these errors, see below.
Any idea why this is happening?
2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: ----------------------------------------
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Message:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: HResult : 0x84bb0001
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: FacilityCode : 1211 (4bb)
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: ErrorCode : 1 (0001)
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Data:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: DisableRetry = true
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Inner exception type: System.UnauthorizedAccessException
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Message:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: HResult : 0x80070005
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: Stack:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.Service.StartService(String[] startParams)
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:31 Slp: ----------------------------------------
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: User has chosen to retry this action
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close service handle for service SQLSERVERAGENT
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close SC Manager
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open SC Manager
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open service handle for service SQLSERVERAGENT
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ----------------------------------------
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Message:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: HResult : 0x84bb0001
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: FacilityCode : 1211 (4bb)
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ErrorCode : 1 (0001)
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Data:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: DisableRetry = true
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Inner exception type: System.UnauthorizedAccessException
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Message:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: HResult : 0x80070005
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Stack:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.Service.StartService(String[] startParams)
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ----------------------------------------
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: User has chosen to retry this action
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close service handle for service SQLSERVERAGENT
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to close SC Manager
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open SC Manager
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open service handle for service SQLSERVERAGENT
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ----------------------------------------
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Message:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: HResult : 0x84bb0001
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: FacilityCode : 1211 (4bb)
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ErrorCode : 1 (0001)
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Data:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: DisableRetry = true
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Inner exception type: System.UnauthorizedAccessException
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Message:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation.
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: HResult : 0x80070005
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: Stack:
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.Service.StartService(String[] startParams)
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:33 Slp: ----------------------------------------
(01) 2026-07-26 13:54:34 Slp: User has chosen to cancel this action
1 Reply
SQL Server 2025 is supported on Windows Server 2025. The key detail is 0x80070005 while Setup calls StartService for SQLSERVERAGENT; temporary success after adding the service account to Administrators points to an effective Windows right or ACL problem, not an edition issue. Do not leave the account in local Administrators. In Local Security Policy, verify the Database Engine and Agent accounts have Log on as a service, Replace a process-level token, Bypass traverse checking, and Adjust memory quotas for a process, and are absent from Deny log on as a service. Check effective domain GPO, because it can overwrite local rights. Verify read/execute permission on D:\MSSQL\MSSQL17.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn for the configured accounts or service SIDs. Re-run Setup elevated. If it fails, correlate the timestamp with System log Service Control Manager events, then inspect Summary.txt, Detail.txt, and the relevant MSI log to identify the denied object.
