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create setup article with rpc server unavailable error
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‎support/sql/database-engine/install/windows/error-rpc-server-unavailable-provisioning-account.md‎

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---
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title: SQL Server setup fails with "The RPC server is unavailable" when provisioning service accounts
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description: This article helps you troubleshoot a problem where setting SQL Server instances fails when provisioning the service account.
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ms.date: 08/26/2025
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ms.custom: sap:Installation, Patching, Upgrade, Uninstall
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ms.author: jopilov
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---
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# SQL Server setup fails with "The RPC server is unavailable" when provisioning service accounts
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This article helps you troubleshoot a problem where setting SQL Server instances fails when provisioning the service account.
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## Symptoms
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You try to install SQL Server and during the service account provisioning phase, installation fails with error:
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`The RPC Server is unavailable.`
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This error happens when SQL Server setup provisions service accounts for the SQL Server services. Here are the entries in the setup log indicating where the failure occurred. Let’s assume that the account chosen for the SQL Server services is a domain account with name CONTOSO\SQLSvcAcct:
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```output
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:00:42 Slp: Sco.User.LookupADEntry - Attempting to find user account CONTOSO\SQLSvcAcct
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:00:42 Slp: Sco: Attempting to check if container 'WinNT://CONTOSO of user account exists
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp: Prompting user if they want to retry this action due to the following failure:
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp: ----------------------------------------
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp: Exception type: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.ScoException
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:     Message:
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:         The RPC server is unavailable.
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:        
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:     HResult : 0x84bb0001
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:         FacilityCode : 1211 (4bb)
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:         ErrorCode : 1 (0001)
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:     Data:
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:       WatsonData = Domain
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:       DisableRetry = true
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:     Inner exception type: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:         Message:
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:                 The RPC server is unavailable.
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:                
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:         HResult : 0x800706ba
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:         Stack:
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:                 at System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntries.Find(String name, String schemaClassName)
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp:                 at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.Sco.User.LookupADEntry()
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(05) 2024-01-19 15:01:03 Slp: ----------------------------------------
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```
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You can see from the log that [System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryEntries.Find()](/dotnet/api/system.directoryservices.directoryentries.find) method is failing with the error: The RPC server is unavailable.
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You can look up the HResult error `0x800706ba` by using CertUtil.exe command line tool.
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```cmd
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certutil /error 0x800706ba
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```
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Result:
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```output
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0x800706ba (WIN32: 1722 RPC_S_SERVER_UNAVAILABLE) -- 2147944122 (-2147023174)
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Error message text: The RPC server is unavailable.
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CertUtil: -error command completed successfully.
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```
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## Cause
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This error is typically related to Windows issues. For more information, you can see [The system can't log you on with the following error: The RPC server is unavailable](../../../../windows-server/user-profiles-and-logon/not-log-on-error-rpc-server-unavailable.md). The article lists these reasons:
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- The "Remote Registry" service isn't running.
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- Incorrect DNS settings.
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- Incorrect Time and Time zone settings.
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- The "TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper" service isn't running.
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## Resolution
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Troubleshoot the Windows error by following [The system can't log you on with the following error: The RPC server is unavailable](../../../../windows-server/user-profiles-and-logon/not-log-on-error-rpc-server-unavailable.md).
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## More information
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Here's a sample C# (.NET Framework) application that you can build yourself. The goal is to test the account that is having issues. The application is likely to reproduce the same `The RPC Server is unavailable.` error and eliminate SQL Setup process as a possible cause.
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### Build an `ADLookup` application with .NET CLI
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These steps provide command line instructions on how to build the application. Alternatively, you can use Visual Studio to accomplish the same result.
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1. Ensure the .NET SDK is installed on your machine
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```bash
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dotnet --version
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```
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1. Open a Command Prompt or PowerShell terminal
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1. Create a Project Folder
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```bash
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md ADLookup
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cd ADLookup
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```
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1. Initialize a Console project
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```bash
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dotnet new console -n ADLookup
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cd ADLookup
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```
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This step creates a basic console app structure.
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1. Replace the `Program.cs` contents with this code
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You can copy-paste the code into the file using a text editor.
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```csharp
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using System;
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using System.Collections.Generic;
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using System.Linq;
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using System.Text;
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using System.DirectoryServices;
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using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
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namespace ADLookup
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{
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public class Program
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{
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static void Main(string[] args)
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{
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if (args.Count() < 2)
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{
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Console.WriteLine("Specify at least 2 parameters. Closing App");
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Console.ReadLine();
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}
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else
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{
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string param1 = args[0];
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string param2 = args[1];
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string myADPath = "WinNT://" + param1 + ", " + param2;
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// Examples
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// user "john" in the "contoso" domain
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// string myADPath = "WinNT://contoso/john, user";
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// Domain "contoso""
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// string myADPath = "WinNT://contoso, domain";
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bool adRes = false;
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Console.WriteLine("Checking {0} for type {1}", param1, param2);
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try
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{
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Console.WriteLine("The string ADPath is : {0}", myADPath);
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adRes = DirectoryEntry.Exists(myADPath);
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System.Console.WriteLine(Marshal.GetLastWin32Error());
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}
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catch (COMException e)
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{
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Console.WriteLine("Error Encountered: {0}", e.ErrorCode);
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}
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if (!adRes)
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{
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Console.WriteLine("The path is invalid");
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Console.WriteLine("Press any key to quit");
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}
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else
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{
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Console.WriteLine("The path is valid");
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Console.WriteLine("Press any key to quit");
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}
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Console.ReadLine();
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}
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}
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}
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}
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```
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1. Add required References
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The code uses `System.DirectoryServices`, which might require adding a reference.
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```bash
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dotnet add package System.DirectoryServices
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```
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1. Build the project
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```bash
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dotnet build --configuration Release
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```
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This compiles the code and generates an `.exe` in the `bin\Release\netX.X\` folder (depending on your .NET version).
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### Run the application
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1. Navigate to the directory where the executable is built:
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```bash
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cd bin\Release\netX.X\
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```
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1. Run the `ADLookup.exe` with the **domain** parameter to look up the domain name first:
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```bash
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adlookup CONTOSO domain
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```
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Results might look like this:
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```output
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Checking CONTOSO for type domain
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The string ADPath is : WinNT://CONTOSO, domain
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The path is valid
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Press any key to quit
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```
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1. Look up the account name with the **user** parameter:
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```bash
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adlookup CONTOSO/SQLSvcAcct user
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```
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Note: the forward slash, not back slash
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Possible output for the service account you're having issues with:
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```output
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Checking CONTOSO/SQLSvcAcct for type user
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The string ADPath is : WinNT:// CONTOSO\SQLSvcAcct, user
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Error Encountered: -2147023174
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The path is invalid
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Press any key to quit
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```

‎support/sql/database-engine/install/windows/toc.yml‎

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href: description-update-cache-folder.md
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- name: Errors when installing SQL Server
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href: error-install-sql-server.md
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- name: RPC server is unavailable error during setup
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href: error-rpc-server-unavailable-provisioning-account.md
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- name: Issues when upgrading to SQL Server 2022
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href: issues-upgrading-sql-server-2022.md
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- name: Driver installation check

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