SQL Server 2012 repair/installation fails

We have a Windows 2012 R2 server and want to run MS SQL Server 2012.

It seems like someone attempted installation a while back but it is not installed properly since SQL Server does not show under All Programs.

We tried to repair or uninstall the existing one and to re-install. However, the repair/installation fails due to this error.

Exception summary: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order Inner exceptions are being indented

Exception type:

Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.ChainerInfrastructureException

Message: 
    '.', hexadecimal value 0x00, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 22777.
HResult : 0x84b10001
    FacilityCode : 1201 (4b1)
    ErrorCode : 1 (0001)
Data: 
  HelpLink.EvtType = 0x066FCAFD@0x5539C151
  DisableWatson = true
Stack: 
    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.DataStoreService.LoadXmlDocument(String xml, XmlSchema schema, String namespacePrefix, String namespaceUri, String rootPath)
    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.DataStoreService.LoadXmlDocument(XmlDocument doc, XmlSchema schema, String namespacePrefix, String namespaceUri, String rootPath)
    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.SqlDiscoveryDatastoreInterface.LoadData(IEnumerable`1 machineNames, String discoveryDocRootPath, String clusterDiscoveryDocRootPath)
    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.SetupExtension.RunDiscoveryAction.ExecuteAction(String actionId)
    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.Action.Execute(String actionId, TextWriter errorStream)
    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Setup.Chainer.Workflow.ActionInvocation.ExecuteActionHelper(TextWriter statusStream, ISequencedAction actionToRun, ServiceContainer context)
Inner exception type: System.Xml.XmlException
    Message: 
            '.', hexadecimal value 0x00, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 22777.
    HResult : 0x80131940
    Stack: 
            at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(Exception e)
            at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ThrowInvalidChar(Int32 pos, Char invChar)
            at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseNumericCharRefInline(Int32 startPos, Boolean expand, BufferBuilder internalSubsetBuilder, Int32& charCount, EntityType& entityType)
            at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseNumericCharRef(Boolean expand, BufferBuilder internalSubsetBuilder, EntityType& entityType)
            at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.HandleEntityReference(Boolean isInAttributeValue, EntityExpandType expandType, Int32& charRefEndPos)
            at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseAttributeValueSlow(Int32 curPos, Char quoteChar, NodeData attr)
            at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseAttributes()
            at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElement()
            at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElementContent()
            at System.Xml.XmlLoader.LoadNode(Boolean skipOverWhitespace)
            at System.Xml.XmlLoader.LoadDocSequence(XmlDocument parentDoc)
            at System.Xml.XmlDocument.Load(XmlReader reader)
            at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.DataStoreService.LoadXmlDocument(String xml, XmlSchema schema, String namespacePrefix, String namespaceUri, String rootPath)

Detail Log

(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:         at Microsoft.SqlServer.Setup.Chainer.Workflow.ActionInvocation.ExecuteActionHelper(TextWriter statusStream, ISequencedAction actionToRun, ServiceContainer context)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:     Inner exception type: System.Xml.XmlException
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:         Message: 
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 '.', hexadecimal value 0x00, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 22777.
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:         HResult : 0x80131940
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:         Stack: 
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(Exception e)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ThrowInvalidChar(Int32 pos, Char invChar)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseNumericCharRefInline(Int32 startPos, Boolean expand, BufferBuilder internalSubsetBuilder, Int32& charCount, EntityType& entityType)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseNumericCharRef(Boolean expand, BufferBuilder internalSubsetBuilder, EntityType& entityType)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.HandleEntityReference(Boolean isInAttributeValue, EntityExpandType expandType, Int32& charRefEndPos)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseAttributeValueSlow(Int32 curPos, Char quoteChar, NodeData attr)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseAttributes()
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElement()
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseElementContent()
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlLoader.LoadNode(Boolean skipOverWhitespace)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlLoader.LoadDocSequence(XmlDocument parentDoc)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at System.Xml.XmlDocument.Load(XmlReader reader)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:28:04 Slp:                 at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.DataStoreService.LoadXmlDocument(String xml, XmlSchema schema, String namespacePrefix, String namespaceUri, String rootPath)
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Watson Bucket 2 
 Original Parameter Values 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 0 : SQL Server 2012@RTM@ 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 1 : Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.DataStoreService.LoadXmlDocument 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 2 : System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 3 : Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.ChainerInfrastructureException@1201@1 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 4 : System.Xml.XmlException@-2146232000 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 5 : RunLocalDiscoveryAction 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: 
 Final Parameter Values 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 0 : SQL Server 2012@RTM@ 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 1 : 0xDBE3EAAC 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 2 : 0x066FCAFD 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 3 : 0xDF039760@1201@1 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 4 : 0x5539C151 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Parameter 5 : RunLocalDiscoveryAction 

(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key Microsoft SQL Server to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20180905_162751\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Microsoft SQL Server.reg_
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:27 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key Uninstall to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20180905_162751\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Windows_CurrentVersion_Uninstall.reg_
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key MSSQLServer to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20180905_162751\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_MSSQLServer.reg_
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key Microsoft SQL Server to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20180905_162751\Registry_SOFTWARE_Wow6432Node_Microsoft_Microsoft SQL Server.reg_
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key Uninstall to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20180905_162751\Registry_SOFTWARE_Wow6432Node_Microsoft_Windows_CurrentVersion_Uninstall.reg_
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key MSSQLServer to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20180905_162751\Registry_SOFTWARE_Wow6432Node_Microsoft_MSSQLServer.reg_
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: '.', hexadecimal value 0x00, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 22777.
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: Watson bucket for exception based failure has been created
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: Sco: Attempting to create base registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, machine 
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open registry subkey Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\110
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: Sco: Attempting to get registry value EnableErrorReporting
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: WER: Successfully read app consent from registry Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\110\EnableErrorReporting=0.
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: WER: Application level consent value '0' was mapped to consent status 'WerConsentDenied'
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: WER: Result of the submission:: 'WerDisabled'
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:28 Slp: WER: Submitted 1 of 1 failures to the Watson data repository
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:29 Slp: 
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:29 Slp: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:29 Slp: 
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:29 Slp: Error result: -2068774911
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:29 Slp: Result facility code: 1201
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:29 Slp: Result error code: 1
(01) 2018-09-05 16:33:29 Slp: SQM Service: Sqm does not have active session.

The below SQL Server related components are installed on the server:

• SQL Server System CLR Types for SQL Server 2012
• SQL Server Data Tool Building Utilities
• SQL Server Compact 4.0 SP1 x64 ENU
• SQL Server 2012 T-SQL Language Service
• SQL Server 2012 Transact-SQL ScriptDom
• SQL Server 2012 Transact-SQL Compiler Service
• SQL Server 2012 Setup (English)
• SQL Server 2012 Native Cleint
• SQL Server 2012 Management Objects
• SQL Server 2012 Express Local DB
• SQL Server 2012 Data Tier App Framework
• SQL Server 2012 Command Line Utilities
• SQL Server 2012 (64 bit)
• SQL Server 2012

Could anyone please help us to solve this issue?

We tried to delete all the MSSQL related components but SQL Server 2012 couldn't be uninstalled with the same error. Since version does not matter, we installed SQL Server 2017 after deleting registry keys and files under Program Files. 2017 has been successfully installed. Thank you again to all for your advice!