SQL Server 2012 installation silently fails

I am trying to install SQL Server 2012 running setup.exe on 64-bit windows 8. After the "please wait" dialog, the installation center comes up. I chose "New SQL Server stand-alone installation", getting a new "please wait" dialog and then this window:

I press ok and comes to a dialog where the product key is input, I press next and accept the license terms, next again, leaves as it is, press next, the installation seems to start.

This should happen according to the text in the window: Scan for product updates, download setup files, extract setup files, install setup files.

After a while, the window dissapears and I get no message.

Nothing seems to be installed.

What really happened?

If this is RTM, I would recommend slipstreaming SP1 + the latest CU into setup before installing, and making sure you install from a local source rather than an ISO, network folder, external drive, etc.

To slipstream you can just download SP1 (likely SQLServer2012SP1-KB2674319-x64-ENU.exe) and/or a CU (CU3 is here; CU4 should be released any moment now) to a folder (say C:\SP1Updates\), extract the files (you should end up with .exe files like SQLServer2012-KBxxxxxxx-x64.exe and you can ignore or get rid of the source 4xxxxx_intl_x64_zip.exe files) and then run setup from a command line like so:

setup.exe /UpdateEnabled=1 /UpdateSource="C:\SP1Updates\"

Or you can download the slipstreamed ISO from here (they have slipstream in the name, just note they contain SP1 but no CU):

Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Service Pack 1 (SP1) (download link)

Some blog posts that go into greater detail about slipstreaming:

• Installing SQL Server 2012 + Service Pack 1 + SP1 Cumulative update in one installation using SQL Server 2012 Product Update

• How to create an SQL Server 2012 installer with integrated CU1 (Product Updates – Slipstream)

• SQL Server 2012: Merged Product Updates (Slipstream)

You might also try the technique here, and you should be able to use slipstream here as well if you want (you'll just need to use a different PatchLevel, 11.00.3000.00 I believe):

• SQL 2008/2008 R2/2012 setup disappears/fails when installing Setup Support files

In case that blog post disappears, I'm going to steal the content and paraphrase (since part of the instructions seem incorrect):

• Save the following in a .reg file and merge to populate the registry:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Bootstrap]
    "BootstrapDir"="C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft SQL Server\\110\\Setup Bootstrap\\"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Bootstrap\Setup]

"PatchLevel"="11.00.2100.60"

• Next, copy the following files and folders from all of the media to:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\SQLServer2012

• Next, run setup from the new location, and it should proceed beyond the point of error this time.

(Note that I haven't tried this technique.)

StackExchange Database Administrators Q#42891, answer score: 3