This month's discount Comprehensive Database Performance Health Check Testimonials
SQLAuthority with Pinal Dave
Home

SQL SERVER – Unable to Start SQL Server – TDSSNIClient Initialization Failed with Error 0x2, Status Code 0x38

Pinal Dave
SQL Tips and Tricks
No Comments

A radio mast on a hillside at dawn with its feeder cable disconnected and coiled at the base.

I just love my On Demand offering because it gives me more pleasure of assisting clients who are in urgent need of an SQL expert. Most of the time I am called for help when clients are not able to start SQL Service due to some reason. Today we will see how to fix an error which is about unable to start SQL Server. The error was TDSSNIClient Initialization Failed with Error 0x2, Status Code 0x38.

My approach to solve the SQL startup issue is straightforward. Look for error messages, wherever it could be. Mostly it is in ERRORLOG or Event Log.

Here is the last part of the ERRORLOG file.

As soon as I saw “The system cannot find the file specified.” message, I started Process Monitor and capture data and compare with my laptop. It took a lot of time to identify the issue, but it was fun. I checked “SuperSocketNetLib” key for the instance.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQLServer\SuperSocketNetLib

SQL Server Network Configuration.

When I compared above with my laptop, I found that Certificate key is missing.

Registry Editor window.

SOLUTION / WORKAROUND

I created a Certificate key as shown on my workstation and I could fix the issue. Then we were able to start SQL Server.

When I asked them about the key they informed that they were earlier using certificates. Since they are going away with it, someone advised them to delete the certificate thumbprint from registry also and they misunderstood.

Published by Pinal Dave on SQLAuthority. More of my work at pinaldave.com.

SQL Error Messages, SQL Server, Starting SQL
Previous Post
Reading a Benchmark Somebody Else Published
Next Post
Data Starvation – Balance Your SQL Server – Part 1

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.

SQL Server slow? Let's fix it together in about four hours.

Pinal Dave

In my Comprehensive Database Performance Health Check, you share your screen, I guide you, and we fix your biggest performance troublemakers. No passwords. No remote access.

You keep every script, and the know-how to fix it yourself next time.

Want your whole team to learn it?

My Practical Workshop has no PowerPoint, just live demos. My AI Enablement Workshop shows your team where AI saves hours, and where it quietly costs them.

Over 400 customers have worked with me this way, and not one shared a password. See all consulting options.

Who We Are

Pinal Dave is an SQL Server Performance Tuning Expert and independent consultant with over 24 years of hands-on experience. He holds a Masters of Science degree and numerous database certifications.

Pinal has authored 19 books and 120 Pluralsight courses. To freely share his knowledge and help others build their expertise, Pinal has also written more than 5,800 database tech articles on his blog at https://blog.sqlauthority.com.

Pinal is also a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1) and CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2).

Nupur Dave is a social media enthusiast and an independent consultant. She primarily focuses on the database domain, helping clients build short and long-term multi-channel campaigns to drive leads for their sales pipeline.

Shaivi Pinalkumar Dave is a book author and a women’s artistic gymnast.