Merge pull request #8654 from sevend2/CI5314

sevend2 · web-flow · commit f41ada9a216d · 2025-04-18T09:53:51.000+08:00
AB#5314: Improvements to SQL article - disk sector size greater than 4KB
diff --git a/support/sql/database-engine/database-file-operations/troubleshoot-os-4kb-disk-sector-size.md b/support/sql/database-engine/database-file-operations/troubleshoot-os-4kb-disk-sector-size.md
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 ---
-title: Troubleshooting operating system disk sector size greater than 4 KB
+title: Troubleshoot Operating System Disk Sector Size Greater Than 4 KB
 description: This article troubleshoots SQL Server installation or startup failures related to some new storage devices and device drivers exposing a disk sector size greater than the supported 4-KB sector size.
-ms.date: 03/10/2025
+ms.date: 04/17/2025
 ms.custom: sap:File, Filegroup, Database Operations or Corruption
-ms.reviewer: dplessMSFT, briancarrig, suresh-kandoth, rdorr, jopilov
+ms.reviewer: dpless, briancarrig, sureshka, rdorr, jopilov
 author: WilliamDAssafMSFT
 ms.author: wiassaf
 ---
@@ -12,13 +12,43 @@ ms.author: wiassaf
 
 This article provides solutions for troubleshooting errors during installation or starting an instance of SQL Server on Windows. This article is valid for all released versions of SQL Server.
 
-The errors discussed in this article are related to system disk sector size greater than 4 KB.
+This article discusses errors related to system disk sector size greater than 4 KB. When you try to install a SQL Server instance on a machine with system disk sector size greater than 4 KB, you might encounter the following scenarios:
 
 _Applies to_: &nbsp; SQL Server all versions
 
-## Symptoms
+## Scenario 1: Move the file to a volume with a compatible sector size
 
-**Scenario #1:** You install any version of SQL Server. Then, you see errors similar to the following message for the Database Engine Services component of SQL Server:
+If you try to use sector size greater than 4 KB, you see the following error message:
+
+```output
+Error: 5179, Severity: 16, State: 1.
+Cannot use file 'data file path', because it is on a volume with sector size 8192. SQL Server supports a maximum sector size of 4096 bytes. Move the file to a volume with a compatible sector size.
+```
+
+## Scenario 2: Could not find the Database Engine startup handle
+
+When you try to install a SQL Server instance on an Azure virtual machine (VM) running Windows, the installation fails, and you receive the following error message in the SQL Server error log when the engine tries to start during the installation:
+
+> Cannot use file '...\master.mdf' because it was originally formatted with sector size 4096 and is now on a volume with sector size 8192. Move the file to a volume with a sector size that is the same as or smaller than the original sector size.
+
+Additionally, you can see the following information in the **Summary.txt** log file in the SQL Server setup folder:
+
+```output
+Detailed results:
+  Feature:                       Database Engine Services
+  Status:                        Failed
+  Reason for failure:            An error occurred during the setup process of the feature.
+  Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
+  Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
+  Component error code:          0x851A0019
+  Error description:             Could not find the Database Engine startup handle.
+```
+
+For more information, see [SQL Server installation fails with sector size error on a Windows Server 2022 Azure virtual machine](../../azure-sql/sql-installation-fails-sector-size-error-azure-vm.md).
+
+## Scenario 3: Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed
+
+When you install any version of SQL Server, you see errors that resemble the following message for the Database Engine Services component of SQL Server:
 
 ```output
 Feature: Database Engine Services 
@@ -30,40 +60,46 @@ Component error code: 0x851A001A
 Error description: Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed. Check the SQL Server error log for potential causes. 
 ```
 
-Or, you see errors in the SQL Server Error Log similar to:
+Or, you see the following errors in the SQL Server error Log:
 
 ```output
 2025-02-26 20:01:16.79 spid14s     Starting up database 'master'.
 2025-02-26 20:01:16.80 spid14s     Error: 5178, Severity: 16, State: 1.
 2025-02-26 20:01:16.80 spid14s     Cannot use file 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\master.mdf' because it was originally formatted with sector size 4096 and is now on a volume with sector size 8192. Move the file to a volume with a sector size that is the same as or smaller than the original sector size.
 ```
 
-**Scenario #2:** You install any version of SQL Server on a Windows 10 device. Then, you upgrade the OS on the device to Windows 11. When you try to start SQL Server on a Windows 11 device, the service fails to start and in the SQL Server error log, you notice entries similar to:
+## Scenario 4: There have been 256 misaligned log IOs which required falling back to synchronous IO
+
+You install any version of SQL Server on a Windows 10 device. Then, you upgrade the operating system (OS) on the device to Windows 11. When you try to start SQL Server on a Windows 11 device, the service fails to start. In the SQL Server error log, you notice the following entries:
 
 ```output
 2021-11-05 23:42:47.14 spid9s There have been 256 misaligned log IOs which required falling back to synchronous IO. The current IO is on file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL15.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\master.mdf. 
 ```
 
-**Scenario #3:** You install any version of SQL Server on a Windows 10 device. Then, you upgrade the OS on the device to Windows 11. When you try to start SQL Server on a Windows 11 device, the service fails to start. In the SQL Server error log, you notice entries similar to:
+## Scenario 5
+
+You install any version of SQL Server on a Windows 10 device. Then, you upgrade the OS on the device to Windows 11. When you try to start SQL Server on a Windows 11 device, the service fails to start. In the SQL Server error log, you notice the following entries:
 
 ```output
 Faulting application name: sqlservr.exe, version: 2019.150.2000.5, time stamp: 0x5d8a9215 
 Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 10.0.22000.120, time stamp: 0x50702a8c 
 Exception code: 0xc0000005 
 Fault offset: 0x00000000000357ae 
 Faulting process id: 0x1124 
-Faulting application start time: 0x01d7bf67449d262c 
+Faulting application start time: 0x01d7bf67449d262c
 Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL15.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn\sqlservr.exe 
 Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll 
 ```
 
-**Scenario #4:** You install LocalDB on a Windows 11 device. The setup fails and in the SQL Server error log, you notice entries similar to:
+## Scenario 6: Move the file to a volume with a sector size that is the same as or smaller than the original sector size
+
+You install LocalDB on a Windows 11 device and the setup fails. In the SQL Server error log, you notice the following entries:
 
 ```output
 2021-12-15 23:25:04.28 spid5s      Cannot use file 'C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server Local DB\Instances\TestInstance\master.mdf' because it was originally formatted with sector size 4096 and is now on a volume with sector size 16384. Move the file to a volume with a sector size that is the same as or smaller than the original sector size.
 ```
 
-In the Windows 11 Application Event Log, you notice entries similar to:
+In the Windows 11 Application Event Log, you notice the following entries:
 
 ```output
 Message            : Windows API call WaitForMultipleObjects returned error code: 575. Windows system error message is: {Application Error}
@@ -75,20 +111,13 @@ Source             : SQLLocalDB 11.0
 > [!Note]
 > You might encounter the failures mentioned in the previous scenarios for a SQL Server instance you installed manually or on a LocalDB instance installed by applications.
 
-**Scenario #5:** If you try to use sector size higher than 4 KB, you see the following error message:
-
-```output
-Error: 5179, Severity: 16, State: 1.
-Cannot use file 'data file path', because it is on a volume with sector size 8192. SQL Server supports a maximum sector size of 4096 bytes. Move the file to a volume with a compatible sector size.
-```
-
 ## Cause
 
 During service startup, SQL Server begins the database recovery process to ensure database consistency. Part of this database recovery process involves consistency checks on the underlying filesystem before you try to open system and user database files.  
 
 Some new storage devices and device drivers expose a disk sector size greater than the supported 4-KB sector size.
   
-When this occurs, SQL Server will be unable to start due to the unsupported file system as SQL Server currently supports sector storage sizes of 512 bytes and 4 KB.
+When this issue occurs, SQL Server is unable to start due to the unsupported file system as SQL Server currently supports sector storage sizes of 512 bytes and 4 KB.
 
 You can confirm that you encounter this specific issue by running the command:
 
@@ -111,7 +140,9 @@ Additionally, be aware of the Windows support policy for file system and storage
 
 ## Resolutions
 
-- Currently, the `ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes` registry key is required to successfully install SQL Server when using modern storage platforms, such as NVMe, that provide a sector size larger than 4 KB. This Windows operating system registry key forces the sector size to be emulated as 4 KB. To add the `ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes` registry key, use **Registry Editor** or run commands as described in the **Command Prompt** or **PowerShell** section. You must reboot the device after adding the registry key for this change to take effect. There is no need to add Trace Flag 1800 for this scenario.
+- Currently, the `ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes` registry key is required to successfully install SQL Server when using modern storage platforms, such as NVMe, that provide a sector size larger than 4 KB. This Windows operating system registry key forces the sector size to be emulated as 4 KB.
+
+  To add the `ForcedPhysicalSectorSizeInBytes` registry key, use **Registry Editor** or run commands as described in the **Command Prompt** or **PowerShell** section. There's no need to add Trace Flag 1800 for this scenario.
   
   > [!IMPORTANT]
   > This section contains steps that tell you how to modify the Windows registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, see the [How to back up and restore the registry in Windows](../../../windows-server/performance/windows-registry-advanced-users.md#back-up-the-registry) article.
@@ -124,6 +155,8 @@ Additionally, be aware of the Windows support policy for file system and storage
   1. Right-click the name, select **Modify**, and type `* 4095` in the **Value data** field.
   1. Select **OK** and close Registry Editor.
 
+  You must reboot the device after adding the registry key for this change to take effect. 
+
   ### [Command Prompt](#tab/command-prompt)
 
   1. Run Command Prompt as an administrator.
@@ -158,6 +191,9 @@ Additionally, be aware of the Windows support policy for file system and storage
 
 - If you don't add the registry key and you have multiple drives on this system, you can specify a different location for the database files after the installation of SQL Server is complete. Make sure that the drive reflects a supported sector size when querying the `fsutil` commands. SQL Server currently supports sector storage sizes of 512 bytes and 4,096 bytes.
 
+> [!CAUTION]
+> If you've already created a storage pool with disks that have a sector size greater than 4 KB to host SQL Server files, you must first remove the storage pool, apply one of the troubleshooting methods mentioned in this article, and then rebuild the storage pool before attempting to install SQL Server on the storage pool or pools.
+
 ## More information
 
 Windows 11 native NVMe drivers were updated to include the actual sector size reported directly by the NVMe storage devices. This was done rather than relying on the information that's emulated from the filesystem drivers.  
