This was already the third time I had to uninstall and reinstall SQL Server 2017 Developer Edition on my local machine. Everything worked fine for a few days. Then suddenly the service refused to start with: Cannot recover the master database. SQL Server is unable to run. Restore master from a full backup, repair it, or rebuild it. For more information about how to rebuild the master database, see SQL Server Books Online. Error Code 3417 – The Symptom I tried everything: Checking permissions on master.mdf Security changes Service account verification Full uninstall and reinstall Nothing worked. Then I checked the SQL Server error log more carefully and noticed this line appearing before the main failure: Error: 2775, Severity: 17, State: 12. The code page 65001 is not supported by the server The Plot Twist I went to Google and found this article . The author basically talked with himself — logs, screenshots, assumptions, theories — debugging in public. ...