Question : SQL2005 Installation Error on Win2003 Server (x86 install)

I'm having  a similar problem with the x86 install of SQL2005 Enterprise Edition that is logged on this site for an x64 installation.

The SQL2005 Enterprise Edition install proceeds normally (including Analysis Services, Reporting Services, etc.), but the install fails at the beginning of the Client Tools section.
We've tried it on Intel Dual and Quad core CPU's - all with Win2003 SP2 OS's - a total of 7 servers.

The only workaround that we've found is to run the SQL 2005 Developer Edition install AFTER the failed Enterprise Edition install and select just the "Client Tools".
They install quickly and without error.
The SQL Server Management Studio seems to be operating normally - we can see all database objects, jobs, create credentials & proxy accounts, etc.

I just hope that everything needed is really getting loaded - since we're relatively new at 2005 I hope we won't find a year or two down the road that some critical stuff WASN'T loaded!

The text from my SQLSetup00002_xxxxx_Core.log file is as follows:
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Setup beginning at Mon Dec 03 16:46:29 2007
Process ID      : 3744
C:\Install\SQL2005\ENTERPRISE\setup.exe Version: 2005.90.1399.0
Running: LoadResourcesAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29
Complete: LoadResourcesAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29, returned true
Running: ParseBootstrapOptionsAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29
Loaded DLL:C:\Install\SQL2005\ENTERPRISE\xmlrw.dll Version:2.0.3604.0
Complete: ParseBootstrapOptionsAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29, returned true
Running: ValidateWinNTAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29
Complete: ValidateWinNTAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29, returned true
Running: ValidateMinOSAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29
Complete: ValidateMinOSAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29, returned true
Running: PerformSCCAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29
Complete: PerformSCCAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29, returned true
Running: ActivateLoggingAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29
Complete: ActivateLoggingAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29, returned true
Delay load of action "DetectPatchedBootstrapAction" returned nothing. No action will occur as a result.
Action "LaunchPatchedBootstrapAction" will be skipped due to the following restrictions:
Condition "EventCondition: __STP_LaunchPatchedBootstrap__3744" returned false.
Running: PerformSCCAction2 at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29
Loaded DLL:C:\WINDOWS\system32\msi.dll Version:3.1.4000.4042
Loaded DLL:C:\WINDOWS\system32\msi.dll Version:3.1.4000.4042
Complete: PerformSCCAction2 at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29, returned true
Running: PerformDotNetCheck at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29
Complete: PerformDotNetCheck at: 2007/11/3 16:46:29, returned true
Running: ComponentUpdateAction at: 2007/11/3 16:46:30
Complete: ComponentUpdateAction at: 2007/11/3 17:6:16, returned true
Running: DetectLocalBootstrapAction at: 2007/11/3 17:6:16
Complete: DetectLocalBootstrapAction at: 2007/11/3 17:6:16, returned true
Running: LaunchLocalBootstrapAction at: 2007/11/3 17:6:16
Error: Action "LaunchLocalBootstrapAction" threw an exception during execution.  Error information reported during run:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\setup.exe" finished and returned: 1603
Aborting queue processing as nested installer has completed
Message pump returning: 1603

Answer : SQL2005 Installation Error on Win2003 Server (x86 install)

I think this is a common error, and the workaround you used is one solution. Some people say if you install an xml parser the problem will go away.

I am sure if anything critical was missing you would not be up and running! Check this link out

http://www.mcse.ms/message2137798.html