# SQL Server 2008 installation fails due to "Restart required"

> Fix SQL Server 2008 installation failure due to pending restart. Clear the restart requirement and complete your installation.

*Published April 26, 2010* · Categories: dbms, microsoft

Source: https://www.kimpel.com/2010/04/26/sql-server-2008-installation-fails-due-to-restart-required/


I currently ran into an interesting issue when installing MS SQL Server 2008. During the initial checks at startup of the installation process I got the following error: "Restart required". So I restarted my computer but without success. I got exactly the same error message again.  
  
I found out that this happens due to a wrong registry entry. In order to get the prerequisite-checks to succeed I had to delete the value of the following registry entry:  

```bash
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\PendingFileRenameOperations
```

I then re-run the prerequisite-check again and it succeeded.