How to fix Error 5353 on Windows Server 2025 / Windows 11

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Troubleshooting Guide: SQL Server Error 5353

Why This Error Happens

Error 5353 occurs when SQL Server 2025 attempts to parse structured data (such as JSON, CSV, or Parquet files used in OPENROWSET or BULK INSERT operations) using a parser version that does not match or support the file’s declared format specification. This typically happens after an in-place upgrade where legacy format files were created with an older parser version, or when a format file has been manually edited and now references a FORMAT_VERSION or DATA_SOURCE configuration incompatible with the installed SQL Server build. It can also occur if the Data Virtualization or PolyBase feature components are outdated relative to the core database engine.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

Step 1: Verify the Format File and Parser Compatibility

  • Open the format file (.fmt or .json schema) referenced in your BULK INSERT, OPENROWSET, or CREATE EXTERNAL FILE FORMAT statement.
  • Check the FORMAT_VERSION or DATA_COMPRESSION attribute at the top of the file and compare it against supported versions listed in sys.dm_exec_external_file_formats.
  • Run the following query to confirm supported parser versions:
  SELECT * FROM sys.dm_exec_external_file_formats;

Step 2: Update PolyBase and Data Virtualization Components

  • Launch SQL Server Installation Center from Start Menu on Windows Server 2025 / Windows 11.
  • Navigate to Maintenance > Edition Upgrade and ensure “PolyBase Query Service for External Data” is updated to the latest Cumulative Update (CU) matching SQL Server 2025 core engine version.
  • Restart the PolyBase services via PowerShell:
  Restart-Service MSSQLSERVER
  Restart-Service "SQL Server PolyBase Engine"
  Restart-Service "SQL Server PolyBase Data Movement"

Step 3: Recreate the External File Format with Explicit Parser Version

  • Drop the existing file format definition:
  DROP EXTERNAL FILE FORMAT MyFileFormat;
  • Recreate it while explicitly specifying a supported parser version:
  CREATE EXTERNAL FILE FORMAT MyFileFormat
  WITH (
      FORMAT_TYPE = PARQUET,
      DATA_COMPRESSION = 'org.apache.hadoop.io.compress.SnappyCodec'
  );
  • Ensure the FORMAT_TYPE matches the actual file structure (e.g., do not mix CSV parser syntax with JSON-formatted source files).

Step 4: Check for Corrupted or Mismatched Source Files

  • Inspect the source file’s header manually using Get-Content -TotalCount 5 "C:\Data\sourcefile.json" in PowerShell to confirm the structure matches the expected schema.
  • Re-export or regenerate the source file using a tool compatible with SQL Server 2025, discarding any legacy export utilities tied to SQL Server 2019/2022 schemas.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • Re-run the original OPENROWSET or BULK INSERT query after applying the fixes; if successful, no error 5353 should appear in SQL Server Error Log or Event Viewer under Applications and Services Logs > MSSQLSERVER.
  • As an alternative, use the sp_describe_first_result_set stored procedure against your data source to validate schema parsing independently of the full import job before re-attempting the bulk operation.