Forum Discussion

Cole_P's avatar
Cole_P
Copper Contributor
Sep 03, 2025

SQL Server 2022 Express Install Issues

I am a non tech savvy student trying to install SQL Server 2022 Express for class and I am running into issues, looking for help.   It gets all the way through the install process and gives me "Una...
sql
sql server
SQL Server Express
SivertSolem's avatar
SivertSolem
Iron Contributor
Sep 08, 2025

It is highly likely that you've encountered "Scenario 3" of this article:
Troubleshoot Operating System Disk Sector Size Greater Than 4 KB - SQL Server | Microsoft Learn

This is a known issue with Win11 and modern storage devices due to changes in Windows storage drivers. 

Assuming you're attempting to install to C:\, you can use the following to verify if you have the issue:

fsutil fsinfo sectorinfo C:

If the values for either "PhysicalBytesPerSectorForAtomicity" or "PhysicalBytesPerSectorForPerformance" are larger than 4096, your SQL Server does not support your hardware out of the box.

In the same article there's a workaround described, using registry editor.

Editing the registry carries some risks, I recommend reading the articles resolution chapter.

In case the link dies at some point in the future, I will also leave the suggested registry change here:

# Add new registry key
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\stornvme\Parameters\Device" -Name "ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes" -PropertyType MultiString -Force -Value "* 4095"
# Verify successful addition of the key
Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\stornvme\Parameters\Device" -Name "ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes"

 

Resources