When I try to install sql server express 2019 it shows the system can not find specified path

Question

When I try to install sql server express 2019 it shows the system can not find specified path

Abu Saleah 0

I have tried to install SQL server express 2019 for many times, but It shows the system can not find specified path. I donwload from official site

And uninstall all the previous sql server, but still shows this problem

Erland Sommarskog 128.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-12T21:48:41.04+00:00

In C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\150\Setup Bootstrap\Log, there is one folder per installation attempt. These folders have many log files. The files of most interest are Summary.txt and Detail.txt. Feel free to attach them here. (But please, do not paste them into a post.)
Abu Saleah 0 Reputation points

2025-11-13T10:07:02.2233333+00:00

Summary.txt This is the summary file
Erland Sommarskog 128.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-14T03:51:39.5033333+00:00

Do you also have detail.txt?
Abu Saleah 0 Reputation points

2025-11-14T05:22:27.13+00:00

Yes, Detail.txt
Abu Saleah 0 Reputation points

2025-11-16T04:41:45.2566667+00:00

Can you check this? Summary.txt and Detail.txt, sql_engine_core_inst_Cpu64_1.log
Erland Sommarskog 128.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-16T05:34:26.1+00:00

I found this:

MSI (s) (44:80) [21:09:07:470]: Specified instance {A60B3D8E-5311-4BF1-AF7A-D1AC15F9152E} via transform :InstID02.mst;:InstName02.mst is already installed. MSINEWINSTANCE requires a new instance that is not installed.

This might be a clue of what is going on. Maybe you should search in the Registry for that GUID and see what you find. Maybe you should delete something. But I have to be honest and say that I don't. My expertise is with SQL Server itself, not with MSI. That's a completely different skillset.
Abu Saleah 0 Reputation points

2025-11-16T15:17:53.3966667+00:00

Can you tell me, who or where I can get the help for this.
Erland Sommarskog 128.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-16T16:39:46.8366667+00:00

Unfortunately, this is a difficult situation. If you are in a corporate environment, your IT folks may be able to help you or open a support case. But this is your private laptop, the option to open a support case is not really available. And, moreover, it is likely to be expensive.

If I would have your machine in front of me and a lot of time on my hands, it is possible that I could get things going, but none of these conditions are true.

Your best bet is probably to create a virtual machine and install SQL Server on the VM. Granted, getting started with VMs comes with a learning curve, but if you aim at being developer, mastering virtual machines is an asset in itself, so it would not be entirely wasted time.

2 answers

Your answer

Erland Sommarskog 128.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-12T21:48:41.04+00:00

In C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\150\Setup Bootstrap\Log, there is one folder per installation attempt. These folders have many log files. The files of most interest are Summary.txt and Detail.txt. Feel free to attach them here. (But please, do not paste them into a post.)
Abu Saleah 0 Reputation points

2025-11-13T10:07:02.2233333+00:00

Summary.txt This is the summary file
Erland Sommarskog 128.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-14T03:51:39.5033333+00:00

Do you also have detail.txt?
Abu Saleah 0 Reputation points

2025-11-14T05:22:27.13+00:00

Yes, Detail.txt
Abu Saleah 0 Reputation points

2025-11-16T04:41:45.2566667+00:00

Can you check this? Summary.txt and Detail.txt, sql_engine_core_inst_Cpu64_1.log
Erland Sommarskog 128.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-16T05:34:26.1+00:00

I found this:

MSI (s) (44:80) [21:09:07:470]: Specified instance {A60B3D8E-5311-4BF1-AF7A-D1AC15F9152E} via transform :InstID02.mst;:InstName02.mst is already installed. MSINEWINSTANCE requires a new instance that is not installed.

This might be a clue of what is going on. Maybe you should search in the Registry for that GUID and see what you find. Maybe you should delete something. But I have to be honest and say that I don't. My expertise is with SQL Server itself, not with MSI. That's a completely different skillset.
Abu Saleah 0 Reputation points

2025-11-16T15:17:53.3966667+00:00

Can you tell me, who or where I can get the help for this.
Erland Sommarskog 128.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-16T16:39:46.8366667+00:00

Unfortunately, this is a difficult situation. If you are in a corporate environment, your IT folks may be able to help you or open a support case. But this is your private laptop, the option to open a support case is not really available. And, moreover, it is likely to be expensive.

If I would have your machine in front of me and a lot of time on my hands, it is possible that I could get things going, but none of these conditions are true.

Your best bet is probably to create a virtual machine and install SQL Server on the VM. Granted, getting started with VMs comes with a learning curve, but if you aim at being developer, mastering virtual machines is an asset in itself, so it would not be entirely wasted time.

Answer 1

If you are encountering a "system cannot find specified path" error while trying to install SQL Server Express 2019, it could be due to several reasons:

Corrupted Installation Files: Ensure that the installation files you downloaded are not corrupted. Try downloading the installer again from the official Microsoft site.
Installation Path Issues: Make sure that the path where you are trying to install SQL Server does not contain any special characters or spaces that might cause issues. It's best to use a simple path like C:\SQLServer.
Permissions: Verify that you have the necessary permissions to install software on your system. Running the installer as an administrator can help resolve permission-related issues.
Previous Installations: Since you mentioned uninstalling previous SQL Server versions, ensure that all remnants of the previous installations are completely removed. You can use tools like the Microsoft Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter to help clean up any leftover files.
Check for System Requirements: Ensure that your system meets the requirements for SQL Server Express 2019. This includes checking for compatible operating systems and necessary updates.

If the problem persists, consider checking the installation logs for more detailed error messages that might provide further insight into the issue.

References:

Answer 2

Erland Sommarskog 128.6K MVP Volunteer Moderator

I found this:

(01) 2025-11-13 00:52:19 Slp: Sco: File 'C:\SQL2019\Express_ENU\x64\setup\x64\sql_engine_core_inst.msi' does not exist (01) 2025-11-13 00:52:19 Slp: Sco: File 'C:\SQL2019\Express_ENU\x64\setup\x64\sql_engine_core_inst.msi' does not exist

I 've seen this before, but I have never understood exactly what is going on, but my guess is that you have made multiple installation attempts and the original error was something else. Then you tried some random cleanup and the installer cache somehow got corrupted. It is nowhere close to my expertise to know how to sort that out.

Your best bet in this situation may be to create a virtual machine and run SQL Server on the VM. A Docker container may also be an option.

I would recommend that you check out this article: https://www.sql-easy.com/learn/how-to-uninstall-sql-server/ This may be why your installation failed originally. Now Setup is failing on an earlier stage. It may still be good to make the adjustments suggested in the article if you go for a VM or Docker.

By the way, you have an x64 processor, haven't you? Beware that if you have an ARM processor, it's a lost battle from the start. SQL Server does not run on ARM.

Shruti Dhruv 405 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-17T10:13:50.79+00:00

Hi Abu Saleah,

Just wanted to check if you got a chance to review the explanation provided and whether that helped you resolve your query?

Thank You for reaching out on Microsoft Q&A Forum
Abu Saleah 0 Reputation points

2025-11-17T14:19:33.9333333+00:00

I have installed SQL server in VM, and now it works well

Thank you
Shruti Dhruv 405 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-19T05:41:26.54+00:00

Hi Abu Saleah,

Thank You for the update. Glad to know that you were able to install SQL server in the VM. Can you please mark the post as solution so that other members can also benefit from it.

Thank You for reaching out on Microsoft Q&A Forum.

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When I try to install sql server express 2019 it shows the system can not find specified path

2 answers

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