File Format Not Valid message when installing SQL Enterprise 2012

  • Hi all,

    I am getting the "File format not valid" message at a very early stage in the installation process of SQL Enterprise 2012 on my Windows 7 machine.

    I have tried these 2 options but both failed:

    (1) mounting the iso on Virtual CloneDrive and running setup from there.

    (2) extracting the files from the iso using Winrar and running setup from the extracted files.

    The message appear just after I press the Next button, following the Product Key code.

    Any ideas how to fix this please?

  • Are there more details in Event viewer or in the setup log?

    Need an answer? No, you need a question
    My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
    MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

  • Hi Koen,

    This is what I found at the end of the Detail_Componentupdate.txt:

    "(01) 2013-10-07 14:58:20 Slp: Sco: Unable to open hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server, error The system cannot find the file specified.

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key Uninstall to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20131007_145652\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Windows_CurrentVersion_Uninstall.reg_

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key MSSQLServer to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20131007_145652\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_MSSQLServer.reg_

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:21 Slp: File format is not valid.

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: Watson bucket for exception based failure has been created

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: Sco: Attempting to create base registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, machine

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open registry subkey Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\110

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: WER: Successfully read app consent from registry Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\110\EnableErrorReporting=.

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: WER: Application level consent value '' was mapped to consent status 'WerConsentNotAsked'

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: WER: Result of the submission:: 'WerReportCancelled'

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: WER: Submitted 1 of 1 failures to the Watson data repository

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp:

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: ----------------------------------------------------------------------

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp:

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: Error result: -2147024809

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: Result facility code: 7

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: Result error code: 87

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: SQM Service: Sqm does not have active session."

    Hope this might help to pinpoint the error.

  • hoolash (10/7/2013)


    Hi Koen,

    This is what I found at the end of the Detail_Componentupdate.txt:

    "(01) 2013-10-07 14:58:20 Slp: Sco: Unable to open hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server, error The system cannot find the file specified.

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key Uninstall to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20131007_145652\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Windows_CurrentVersion_Uninstall.reg_

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:20 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key MSSQLServer to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20131007_145652\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_MSSQLServer.reg_

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:21 Slp: File format is not valid.

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: Watson bucket for exception based failure has been created

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: Sco: Attempting to create base registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, machine

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open registry subkey Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\110

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: WER: Successfully read app consent from registry Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\110\EnableErrorReporting=.

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:22 Slp: WER: Application level consent value '' was mapped to consent status 'WerConsentNotAsked'

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: WER: Result of the submission:: 'WerReportCancelled'

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: WER: Submitted 1 of 1 failures to the Watson data repository

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp:

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: ----------------------------------------------------------------------

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp:

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: Error result: -2147024809

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: Result facility code: 7

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: Result error code: 87

    (01) 2013-10-07 14:58:24 Slp: SQM Service: Sqm does not have active session."

    Hope this might help to pinpoint the error.

    i think so too

  • Anyone please?

  • hoolash (10/7/2013)


    Anyone please?

    try running the install with the slip stream method...

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2783963

    MCSE SQL Server 2012\2014\2016

  • Thanks SSC! I downloaded that version from the Microsoft website and it installed without a glitch! 🙂

  • hoolash (10/8/2013)


    Thanks SSC! I downloaded that version from the Microsoft website and it installed without a glitch! 🙂

    Good Deal! 🙂

    MCSE SQL Server 2012\2014\2016

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