SQL Server Express 2014 on Win8.1: Could not find the Database Engine startup handle

Question

Hello,
I tried to follow all the similarly titled posts in this forum, yet no solution seems to work, so I hope I can find some up-to-date suggestion here (most of the older posts refer to versions from 2008 to 2012...).
I have installed Visual Studio 2013 (with the latest Update 2 RC) on a freshly installed development workstation with Win 8.1 with all its updates. Now I'd want to install SQL Server 2014 Express, but the setup keeps failing with the dreaded "Could
not find the Database Engine startup handle" error (the log follows below).
What I tried:
1) download again and repair. Same error.
2) completely uninstall by launching setup.exe /Action=uninstall (success), then rebooting the OS, then installing again. Same error. I did this twice, the second time I also manually removed any directory left out in C:\Program Files etc.
When I launch the setup, I select all the components for installation in the package SQLEXPRADV_x64_ENU.exe (1.12 GB, last downloaded today -Apr 3, 2014-), and accept all the defaults including the proposed services accounts. There is no preexisting
SQL Server instance, as expected.
The setup takes its time, and finally fails with the error quoted above. I really do not want to reformat my HD and fully reconfigure my workstation, which took about 3 days... Could anyone suggest a solution to have SQL Server 2014 setup so I can start
developing instead of wasting time in administering the system?
Thanks to all! The log follows.
Overall summary:
  Final result:                  Failed: see details below
  Exit code (Decimal):           -2061893607
  Start time:                    2014-04-03 18:30:58
  End time:                      2014-04-03 19:04:41
  Requested action:              Install
Setup completed with required actions for features.
Troubleshooting information for those features:
  Next step for RS:              Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
  Next step for SQLEngine:       Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
  Next step for FullText:        Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
  Next step for Replication:     Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
Machine Properties:
  Machine name:                  DIOMEDES
  Machine processor count:       4
  OS version:                    Windows 8
  OS service pack:               
  OS region:                     United States
  OS language:                   English (United States)
  OS architecture:               x64
  Process architecture:          64 Bit
  OS clustered:                  No
Product features discovered:
  Product              Instance             Instance ID                    Feature                
                 Language             Edition              Version         Clustered  Configured
Package properties:
  Description:                   Microsoft SQL Server 2014 
  ProductName:                   SQL Server 2014
  Type:                          RTM
  Version:                       12
  SPLevel:                       0
  Installation location:         C:\Users\Daniele\Downloads\SQLEXPRADV_x64_ENU\x64\setup\
  Installation edition:          Express
Product Update Status:
  None discovered.
User Input Settings:
  ACTION:                        Install
  ADDCURRENTUSERASSQLADMIN:      true
  AGTSVCACCOUNT:                 NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE
  AGTSVCPASSWORD:                *****
  AGTSVCSTARTUPTYPE:             Disabled
  ASBACKUPDIR:                   Backup
  ASCOLLATION:                   Latin1_General_CI_AS
  ASCONFIGDIR:                   Config
  ASDATADIR:                     Data
  ASLOGDIR:                      Log
  ASPROVIDERMSOLAP:              1
  ASSERVERMODE:                  MULTIDIMENSIONAL
  ASSVCACCOUNT:                  <empty>
  ASSVCPASSWORD:                 <empty>
  ASSVCSTARTUPTYPE:              Automatic
  ASSYSADMINACCOUNTS:            <empty>
  ASTEMPDIR:                     Temp
  BROWSERSVCSTARTUPTYPE:         Disabled
  CLTCTLRNAME:                   <empty>
  CLTRESULTDIR:                  <empty>
  CLTSTARTUPTYPE:                0
  CLTSVCACCOUNT:                 <empty>
  CLTSVCPASSWORD:                <empty>
  CLTWORKINGDIR:                 <empty>
  COMMFABRICENCRYPTION:          0
  COMMFABRICNETWORKLEVEL:        0
  COMMFABRICPORT:                0
  CONFIGURATIONFILE:             
  CTLRSTARTUPTYPE:               0
  CTLRSVCACCOUNT:                <empty>
  CTLRSVCPASSWORD:               <empty>
  CTLRUSERS:                     <empty>
  ENABLERANU:                    true
  ENU:                           true
  ERRORREPORTING:                false
  FEATURES:                      SQLENGINE, REPLICATION, FULLTEXT, RS, CONN, BC, SDK, BOL, SSMS, ADV_SSMS, LOCALDB
  FILESTREAMLEVEL:               0
  FILESTREAMSHARENAME:           <empty>
  FTSVCACCOUNT:                  NT Service\MSSQLFDLauncher$SQLEXPRESS
  FTSVCPASSWORD:                 <empty>
  HELP:                          false
  IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS:  true
  INDICATEPROGRESS:              false
  INSTALLSHAREDDIR:              C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\
  INSTALLSHAREDWOWDIR:           C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\
  INSTALLSQLDATADIR:             <empty>
  INSTANCEDIR:                   C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\
  INSTANCEID:                    SQLEXPRESS
  INSTANCENAME:                  SQLEXPRESS
  ISSVCACCOUNT:                  NT AUTHORITY\Network Service
  ISSVCPASSWORD:                 <empty>
  ISSVCSTARTUPTYPE:              Automatic
  MATRIXCMBRICKCOMMPORT:         0
  MATRIXCMSERVERNAME:            <empty>
  MATRIXNAME:                    <empty>
  NPENABLED:                     0
  PID:                           *****
  QUIET:                         false
  QUIETSIMPLE:                   false
  ROLE:                          AllFeatures_WithDefaults
  RSINSTALLMODE:                 DefaultNativeMode
  RSSHPINSTALLMODE:              DefaultSharePointMode
  RSSVCACCOUNT:                  NT Service\ReportServer$SQLEXPRESS
  RSSVCPASSWORD:                 <empty>
  RSSVCSTARTUPTYPE:              Automatic
  SAPWD:                         <empty>
  SECURITYMODE:                  <empty>
  SQLBACKUPDIR:                  <empty>
  SQLCOLLATION:                  Latin1_General_CI_AS
  SQLSVCACCOUNT:                 NT Service\MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS
  SQLSVCPASSWORD:                *****
  SQLSVCSTARTUPTYPE:             Automatic
  SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS:           DIOMEDES\Daniele
  SQLTEMPDBDIR:                  <empty>
  SQLTEMPDBLOGDIR:               <empty>
  SQLUSERDBDIR:                  <empty>
  SQLUSERDBLOGDIR:               <empty>
  SQMREPORTING:                  false
  TCPENABLED:                    0
  UIMODE:                        AutoAdvance
  UpdateEnabled:                 true
  UpdateSource:                  MU
  USEMICROSOFTUPDATE:            false
  X86:                           false
  Configuration file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\120\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20140403_183057\ConfigurationFile.ini
Detailed results:
  Feature:                       Management Tools - Complete
  Status:                        Passed
  Feature:                       Client Tools Connectivity
  Status:                        Passed
  Feature:                       Client Tools SDK
  Status:                        Passed
  Feature:                       Client Tools Backwards Compatibility
  Status:                        Passed
  Feature:                       Management Tools - Basic
  Status:                        Passed
  Feature:                       Reporting Services - Native
  Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
  Reason for failure:            An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
  Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
  Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
  Component error code:          0x851A0019
  Error description:             Could not find the Database Engine startup handle.
  Error help link:               http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=12.0.2000.8&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4025&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4025
  Feature:                       Database Engine Services
  Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
  Reason for failure:            An error occurred during the setup process of the feature.
  Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
  Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
  Component error code:          0x851A0019
  Error description:             Could not find the Database Engine startup handle.
  Error help link:               http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=12.0.2000.8&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4025&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4025
  Feature:                       Full-Text and Semantic Extractions for Search
  Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
  Reason for failure:            An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
  Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
  Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
  Component error code:          0x851A0019
  Error description:             Could not find the Database Engine startup handle.
  Error help link:               http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=12.0.2000.8&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4025&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4025
  Feature:                       SQL Server Replication
  Status:                        Failed: see logs for details
  Reason for failure:            An error occurred for a dependency of the feature causing the setup process for the feature to fail.
  Next Step:                     Use the following information to resolve the error, uninstall this feature, and then run the setup process again.
  Component name:                SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features
  Component error code:          0x851A0019
  Error description:             Could not find the Database Engine startup handle.
  Error help link:               http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&ProdVer=12.0.2000.8&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4025&EvtType=0xD15B4EB2%400x4BDAF9BA%401306%4025
  Feature:                       SQL Browser
  Status:                        Passed
  Feature:                       Documentation Components
  Status:                        Passed
  Feature:                       SQL Writer
  Status:                        Passed
  Feature:                       LocalDB
  Status:                        Passed
  Feature:                       Setup Support Files
  Status:                        Passed
Rules with failures:
Global rules:
Scenario specific rules:
Rules report file:               C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\120\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20140403_183057\SystemConfigurationCheck_Report.htm

Answer 1

Thank you, it worked! I suppose that it was really your nr.3 which made the difference. I changed NT Service\MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS to NT AUTHORITY\System for the Data service. I'll then change it again as suggested (any suggestion about a "standard"
account to be used here?), even if this is a development workstation using SQL Server Express only as a local database for debugging, so security is not really a big concern.
Thanks for the feedback.Ya I know No3 was real step but just added more info so as to rule out any other possibility.
No not as such, you wont believe,quite few pf my clients I have worked for keep it with local system and they have not complained yet ,they are afraid to change account as few of them faced issue SQL Server not coming online due to logon failure( after changing
startup account to some domain a and that was happening due to some AD policy.But if you have nay plans to move Critical database in production which would be act as Database to some Internet facing application please follow my suggestion
of running SQL Server with Least privileged domain account.
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