Ok, I’m angry, and two hours of my time has gone that I will never get back.
I’ve just spent the morning trying to get Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express + Management Studio installed after a PC format. I’m running Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate (x64) and all files in question below were downloaded via the Microsoft download portal site.
Let me give you the low down of the problem I encountered, my experience and what I had to do to overcome it. If you’ve came from a Google link, yes hopefully this post will save you if you are having problems installing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Management Studio Express.
PROBLEM
Simply put, SQL Server 2008 Management Studio Express WILL NOT INSTALL with my SQL Server 2008 Express edition install.
Let me show my download process and files involved in this fun adventure:
| Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Express | |
| SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe | 84,498 MB |
I selected this package to download as I wanted to download the lightest-weight package available which installs the database services of SQL Server 2008 64-Bit Express.
| Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Management Studio Express | |
| SQLManagementStudio_x64_ENU.exe | 180,712 MB |
I chose to download the SQL Server 2008 Management Studio Express tool as a separate download just in case I ever needed the database services standalone without the management studio etc. I realise there is a SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools available to download but it wasn’t the most appropriate for me.
So after having both packages downloaded, in my matching 64-bit edition I proceeded to install SQL Server 2008 Express (SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe). When I did I received a message prompted from Windows 7 which stated I needed to download the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (SP1) before using SQL Server 2008:
Based on that feedback, I stopped at that point to download SP1 to ensure compatibility, after a few minutes of digging around Microsoft’s download portal, I found this link:
| Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Express Edition Service Pack 1 | |
| SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe | 106,796 MB |
Notice something familar?? That’s right the filename matches the original SQL Server 2008 Express install filename, SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe! WHAT THE!
So I paused, thought, (actually there was a lot more swearing involved) and all that I could deduce was going on was that by Microsoft stating this is the Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Express Edition Service Pack 1, what they meant was this is Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Express Edition WITH Service Pack 1. I still do not know if this is true. But I installed this version and renamed it as SP1_SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe.
TRIED INSTALLING
Now for the installs! I ran the SP1_SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe install package, I installed all options I required, including database services and client connectivity components. So that was confusion #1, who knows if it installed with the Service Pack 1 or not, there was no mention, so I have no idea, but could probably run a verison check as a SQL query if I was concerned.
Now on to the Management Studio. This is easy, straight forward, it’s just the one download SQLManagementStudio_x64_ENU.exe and could present no problems, SURELY, even thought it comes in at ~180MB; ~74MB larger than the Database Services itself, I won’t let that bother me. Once the installer launched, I clicked “Installation” proceeded through the standard SQL installer ready to select “Management Studio” when “Feature Select” prompts me too.
Then we arrived at the step, and nothing, no option for “Management Studio – Basic“, nothing.
In fact, the whole installer described in text like I was adding features to the database services, geared up completely like a “add/remove components” option on the SQL Server 2008 Express install!
So after trying many things, reboots, installing my non “SP1_” .exe file, then trying SQLManagementStudio_x64_ENU.exe again, no luck. I had downloaded the Management Studio tool, and I simply, could not install the management studio. 180MB, with a gazillion wizards of dependency and rule checking and NOT ONE prompt guiding me regarding what I should do, if my system was configured incorrectly to install, or what.
So yes, as I build to the conclusion and figure out a way around it, in a long shot of hope, I uninstalled everything, all instances and components relating to SQL Server 2008 Express and thought perhaps SQLManagementStudio_x64_ENU.exe somehow crazily, despite all text on the download links stating it is the standalone management studio, that infact it isn’t.
Perhaps it’s SQL Server 2008 Express WITH Management Studio and for some reason it simply does not install separately. So I tried that, I progressed, and what it did prompt me with was actually different to what I had thought, quite a shock. At “Feature Selection” was FINALLY the option to select “Management Studio – Basic“, but not with database services, just management studio!
FIX – INSTALL BACKWARDS!
So that’s the logic, install everything backwards:
First the SQLManagementStudio_x64_ENU.exe to install your tools, and then SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe to install your database services. Or perhaps if you are happy with an all in one package, go for this guy – Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Express with Tools it’ll probably save you a lifetime of headaches. Don’t try to be tricky like me and get separate installs.
WHAT WE I HAVE LEARNT
Some times things can be made a little too intuitive for their own good to the point systems trip over themselves.
But hopefully although I’ve wasted another half an hour on this blog post, I have saved many people around the globe their valuable time.
Peace.
90 Comments
hi there..
i’ve just run into the same issue, but hopefully found this article: http://www.asql.biz/Articoli/SQLX08/Art3_1.aspx
in the last part it covers the issue of installing SSMSE over the existing SQL Server Express installation. the key is to go installing a ‘new’ instance, not to add features to existing installation. then there is an option to select SSMSE.
bad thing is that i’ve installed SQL Express 2008 SP1, and this installs the SQL Express again, so i’ll have to rerun the SP1 installation, but at least it’s better than uninstalling everything.. hope this will help someone sometime
As for your program compatibility issue, I like to disable that beotch right away. Go to group policy editor, on the computer folder, expand the windows components, and select the program compatibility or whatever it is called, then enable the option to “Disable Program Compatibility” or some such nonsense. Do that for the current user too and then save and reboot.
Lets you do all kinds of stuff, like install MOSS and WSS etc…
by the way, my installation of SQL Express stopped working after I applied sp2. Everything appears to be running, but I cannot connect. That is what brought me across your post. It is in fact irritating. It was running fine. Oh well, thati s what I get for running a pre-release OS.
so there you go – m$ produces management studio bloatware – way larger than the database engine – then gets the installation steps completely wrong – probably so you can accept their silly license terms – costs thousands of developers hours of frustration trying to do something extremely mundane and they still get away with it. nice one microsoft – you really have your heads up your asses. too bad i have some time/technology constraints but rest assured – after going live i WILL be porting everything to opensource. may you die a slow and painful death.
Dude, you are a life saver.
I thought I’d written a blog without realizing at first.
I went through exactly the same process you did.
Thanks for your help.
Glad I could help!
If you really want to make it easy go to this site.
http://www.asp.net/downloads/
Download the microsoft “Web Platform Installer”
It will allow you to not only install Visual Web Developer Express but SQL server 2008 express SQL Server 2008 Management studio express as well as other Microsoft web development express versions including silverlight.
The installer will handle the complete installation of the products just like windows update so you don’t have to think about the order Microsoft needs for the tools to work.
@cgyrob Great tip.
The website tool “Web Platform Installer”, did not help me to pass the error. Got the same compatibility msg. Then it just hung there.
Anyone get this to work on Win7 RTM 64bit?
Platform: Windows 7 x64
SQL: Server 2008 x64 (installed SP1)
Problem: Management Studio won’t connect giving error “Can’t Connect to SQL Server”
provider: Named Pipes provider, SQL Server, Error: 3″
Actions:
Disabled Firewall (to eliminate it out of the equation)
All TCP/IP, Named Pipes, Enabled
Headache:
Toad for SQL works like a charm and connects perfectly.
I did get the known compatibility issue but I thought it was solved on SP 1 which I installed immediately.
Any thoughts of how to make Management Console works?
Just wanted to thank you for this posting after spending hours trying to install different versions of sql i finally got it right using your advice
thanks for taking the time to post this issue
I installed SQL Server 2008 Express SP1 on Windows 7 (32), but first I forgot to stop the firewall, so first four attempts were failed. Then I disabled firewall and installed SQL Server 2008 Express SP1 and connected to it from Visual Studio 2008 SP1.
Thank you very much for all of your input there are several great points in this string.
I would like to describe another way that I found the same solution. This worked on my windows 7 RC build 7600 Version
Instead of stopping to load the SP1 run the program first.
Then install the service pack.
In my case because I also had Visual Studio 2008 loaded on my system. I was required to get SP1 for that too.
I spent several hours cursing at my machine and microsoft programmers before I found this solution.
I had installed SQL Server 2008 via the Web Platform Installer, but during the installation the SQL Server 2008 Management Studio Express failed.
I had to uninstalled SQL Server 2008, ASP.NET 3.5 SP1, then reinstall ASP.NET 3.5 SP1. Then I downloaded the standalone management studio as you suggested (SQLManagementStudio_x86_ENU.exe). This installed just the studio.
Then I used the Web Platform Installer to reinstall SQL Server 2008, and it installed correctly.
Note:
I connected to it with the host: .\SQLEXPRESS rather than . or localhost.
Thanks for everyone who put in effort to create this post, saved me a ton of time!
Hi Graham,
Does installing SQL Express 2008 SP1 need Visual Studio 2008 SP1 to be installed?
Thanks.
Thanks Graham. Very helpful. Thought I was going mad until I found this post.
There is some issue/inconsistency for SKU across Express packages, as a result, this causes a counter intuitive situation as posted here. A simpler workaround is to select the default “perform a new installation of SQL Server 2008″ in the Installation Type page. Since SSMS is a shared component, it would not instance a new SQL instance, and will only install SSMS incrementally. SQL production team is working to resolve this for the next major release of SQL.
the poster stated the following:”Ok, I’m angry, and two hours of my time has gone that I will never get back.”
please clarify for me:
how is this different than the rest of your time spent? are you able to get that time back somehow? if you have discovered some way to do that, you may want to worry less about installing software, and start marketing your invention.
Thanks! I had spent more than 5 hours. Best way to go is your last advice to install everything together (“with tools”).
Been a long time since you wrote this entry but I have to say: this describes almost precisely what I’ve been through just now, trying to get this thing to work – the difference is that I’m installing the 32 version.
Talk about effed-up installation design.
Cheers!
@davidf Yes, I classify time as ‘wasted’ if it’s counter-productive. I don’t consider being productive wasting time.
I fully agree with you and thanks for the good tip. I was going crazy with this nightmare.
Actually I tried to install SQL Server 2005 Standard (which is what I paid for 3 years ago) but somehow it is not compatible with W7.
So, now I know what to do. Thanks again!
PS. I don’t understand why the hell Microsoft cannot learn from other database companies like Oracle. It is such a breeze to upgrade, especially if it is just a development scenario.
Use the Microsoft Web Platform installer. Works like a champ!
Thanks Graham. After 4 hours wasting my time I finally got it using your advise.
Same here dude. i’m just going around and around in circles. Useless!
I feel your anger, man. I’m in the f*cking middle of this too. It’s the same mess every time I install that crap. If only the installer was quick, but it isn’t. What a nightmare!
Thank you so much for this post .I’m was completely confused by it .
I feel your pain, dude. I just lost 2 hours of my life to this, then I found this link: http://blogs.msdn.com/billramo/archive/2009/02/20/sql-server-2008-management-studio-express-released-to-the-web.aspx
I can’t get the regular install to work that he details (SSMSE doesn’t show up in my list), but the command line install worked like a charm.
Could they have made this any less intuitive? Seriously. I feel an e-mail to the product team percolating…
Thanks for writing this article. it totally helped me out!
Just wanted to add I went through this, thanks to comment #1 from Tomislav I got it working. I knew about the package that included the Tools, but it is the RTM version of SQL 2008 and does not include SP1. Unfortunately there is no package I can find that includes Tools and SP1.
I was unable to install SSMS, tearing hair out (dangerous with so little there to start with). Your article did it for me. I had even uninstalled and started over a few times, stripping registry entries, etc. Pointless. Thank you, again.
Thanks a lot Graham : you saved my evening. And probably my week-end.
As I had already installed Visual Studio 2008 on Windows 7, after installing SQL Management Studio, I had to install SP1 for VS 2008 before installing SQL 2008 Express. But no reboot was need after SP1 for VS2008.
If you go to France (Lyon), I pay you a drink.
Stuck! Can’t get sql server installed. Tried 3 times today
I have been trying on and off for weeks, I have had no problem with SQL or management studio express, but I have been unable to get reporting services working. When I use the configuration option for reporting services and click on find I get an error message saying can’t connect to the report server even when I ente the name of the server manually or as localhost. SSIS works fine and SQL works fine but nothing I try can get reporting services working.
windows 7 64 bit
Thanks a lot for this post. It saves me some time of trial and error to get around this problem.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I had the same experience with _86. Your solution worked there too.
I also found an install file for SQLEXPRESS SP1, but when I ran it, it would not simply upgrade the existing instance of SQLEXPRESS, it installed a new instance, called MSSQLSERVER. I eventually uninstalled both of these and followed your procedure, and haven’t fooled with the supposed SP1 install again.
i downloaded Google Adwords for my desktop. Piece of cake.
Tried downloading this AdCenter for desktop piece of crap on a BRAND NEW Toshiba with Vista. Cant do it. it says it cant verify this file …VSD3cc1.tmp\sqlexpress2008\sqle xpr_x64_enu.exe
i just dont understand how this POS company Microsoft stays in business. It shouldnt be this hard. I despise you Steve Balmer and Bill Gates.
thanks.
Hours lost already on this baby.
VS2008 already on machine, SSMS 2005. Installed VS2010 and can’t use SSMS anymore. so am now uninstallingbits ready to start the approach above.
If like me you’re still struggling to find out where the install media is located, take a look at this:
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/sqlsetupandupgrade/thread/bf8570c3-ef9f-4eed-9a09-055ef42108fc
Why o why is this such a rigmarole?
Thanks for all the help guys!
Bang on target, mate. This was the only to make this work. Thanks for the post, else I would have given up.
Hey! You’re right, you save a lot of time to tons of people with this article..!
I hope I can do that one day…
Peace
Ms Sql Server Express installation is severely flawed! I’ve tried off and on for weeks, to get this BS installed and I can’t get it to connect with MSE GRRRRRRRR!!! Oracle was a breeze to setup, why can Ms Sql Server Express be that easy? Seriously?
Same here mate. This kind of thing makes me promise to abandon the MS stack at some point.
Thanks,
just what I needed actually! Good work!
Hoo Yeah, I came from a google link after 6 hour and + of searching and then install everything with the “with tools” version in a click! Save me lots of time! Very useful post! Thanx!
I can discribe the installation process in one word:
motherfuckingshitniggercuntfuck
Thanks for the solution.
Thnak you. I thought I was alone in the world of idiots who only wanted the SQL 2008 Management Studio installed. On my third download and failure, I came to the conclusion that I cannot be this F’ing stupid and decided to search for help.
Found your site and was calmed somewhat.
Thanks – tried for hours to get SQLEXPRESS to run on W7 Home Premium – found your site and it was working within an hour – MS 2008 products are utter rubbish – especially 2008 server which is complete trash!
thanx a lot! it’s amazing how microsoft gets away with this crap. finally, thanks to your advise I found my way after a few hours of figuring out how things that are easy are made difficult in software development.
Thanx!!
You saved my sanity!!! I was going CRAZY trying to get SSMS installed. I never gave it a thought that MS was using the same download file name for two different versions of the same product. When I tried to download the r2 version to my internet downloads folder it always said I already had the file so I’d cancel the download and just used the file I had. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
Thanks for all this info.
I installed Visual Studio 2010 incl SQLServer 2008 and had the same problems with trying to get Management Studio installed.
I succeeded by using the Web Platform Installer (here http://www.microsoft.com/web/downloads/platform.aspx )
Very simple and painless – definately recommend !!
Pathetic Usability by M$ to think that one would not choose add features to a current instance.
Thanks, you saved a hell lot of time..
I feel your pain – thanks for posting and providing the link I needed.
thanks ! and fu microsoft once again. Virtually EVERYONE installing VS2010 is falling into this trap. comment #1 worked for me luckily. I had another machine where this did not work and I had to do just like the author.
thank you for posting this solution. it worked perfectly.
Helped me. Thanks a bunch!
Cheers, man… Went to back to PC from Mac as I needed the asp.net, etc.. Already miss my mac, it’s like microsoft’s goal is to make people waste their time on pointless things. Anyway, thanks for sharing.
You rock! I wish I would have found this hours ago, but who would of thought this would be a problem. Someone in the Microsoft SQL team should be FIRED!!!!
I have TRIED and TRIED to get Management Studio installed under Win 7 (at least eight hours over several days) to no avail.
The feature option of Management Studio will not show up no matter what installation file I run.
WHY do they make it SO DIFFICULT!!! I only wish there was an alternative.
I am uninstalling SQL Server 2008 entirely (another several hours I am sure) and starting over again.
I’ve followed the steps provided and everything appeared to install correctly. However, when I go into SSMS the servers I set up will not show under server name/. Is anyone else having this issue and/or know of a work around?
Dear Graham O’Neale… I appreciate and thank you so much for your time in posting your experience in installing SQL Server 2008. This really helped me a lot in installing SQL Server in my Win7 system. Thanks a lot!
thanks for this post! The people at Microsoft who put together this scenario are jack asses! Come on! You mean the yin yangs couldn’t have given us a meaningful message? I wasted 6 hours on this blasted situation and finally found your post. I am so ticked off at the Microsoft for putting out some half ass setup for sql server 2008 express and studio. Oh my gosh could I go on but I’ll stop. Thanks again for the post! If anyone from Microsoft is reading this post, you guys are a bunch of jack asses for putting this out there without any *thought* into it!
Hey man, great article. Just a heads up if you want full text searching you should go with the SQLEXPRADV_x64_ENU.exe (or 32 bit version) package.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=b5d1b8c3-fda5-4508-b0d0-1311d670e336&displaylang=en
Hello there, after going to all your information, and tried several that didnt work finally get one.
First i am running winxp64bits spanish, with 16Gb of memory, and i develop both for Windows; in Microsoft Visual Studio, and Legacy sistems of VisualFoxpro, and for portable OS; in PHP with MySql, and in Java.
The reason you may wonder that i am still in winXP is that i have Rational Suite and CA Suite Design, software that wont work on Win7.
So unisnstall all related programs for Sql Server like browser, data tier and such.
Then install the powershel, and install the SSMSEE, wich was about another half hour.
Then l rerun the repair part of VS2010.
In total about 5 hours of thinking bad about microsoft.
I spent an hour figuring out how to install SQL management studio. Fuck you Microsoft.
If Microsoft were run by people secretly trying to ruin it these last 10 years, how would they have behaved?
Imagine they’re in the pay of Apple, but they cant just outright kill the firm; what to do?
Abandon the most popular (and productive) programming language in the world, VB6, for a frustrating monstrosity, VB.NET, and tell the world its object oriented progress; after all OO is the fad of the moment. Ignore tens of thousands of users pleading with you not to do it. When its clear years later VB.NET is a failure don’t bother to re-support VB6.
Ship a bloated, slow, buggy, operating system with a bit of flash; pretend you’re trying to compete with the Macintosh GUI. When it fails release it again with a new name. No one can work productively with them; users look to Apple and Linux; you’re succeeding.
Take the most well known office software in the world and rip out its menus, replacing them with cartoons. Don’t give users a choice to turn on the menus they know by heart. Produce a “help” system for your software that reads like white papers, never answering functional needs. Leave that up to forums and 3rd party help sites.
Build a phone OS that’s buggy and needs to be rebooted constantly. After you’ve lost too much market share to compete, waste money by doing it again.
Instead of making your core products better, waste more money and prestige by competing in markets you can’t succeed in. Put out a music player to compete with Apple’s. Put out a web oriented animation system to compete with Flash. Put out a web design tool to compete with Dreamweaver. Of course they all fail; good job.
Manufacture all software to appear to work, so that casual users and investment analysts think you’ve turned the corner, but make sure that deeper flaws stop professionals from being able to work with the products. Never responsibly admit to these flaws; the general public and your defenders will think you’re worried over liability. Users will waste days trying to get apps to work. Eventually no professional will touch your new products.
Ruin the productivity of the sole remaining desktop database, Access, with pointless changes to an efficient design / menu system in place for years; pretend you’re trying to appeal to a wider audience. Buy out its only competitor and then cease supporting it.
Pretend you’re competing on the web. Ship the most mediocre browsers you can. Make your web portal look like a cheap Sunday ad circular. With great fanfare and expense launch a search engine, but make sure at first it has very limited page returns.
Buy last years hot VoIP firm at many times its market value.
For 10 years I shook my head, trying to understand; stupidity? Incompetence? Hubris? All of them together?
I then came onto Windows 7 (Version 6.1.7600; how odd) explorer and I wanted to move up one directory; of course the interface had been altered so the functions were hidden and all the brand recognition elements that had been there for years and that other firms die for were missing; it was typically frustrating but I hunted around for it. Like the turn signal on a foreign car, it was there somewhere. Somewhere. No, it wasn’t.
This astonishing absence led me to this realization; MS is not being run by fools; it’s being run by people who are trying, and succeeding, at something.
Am I kidding ? Have I read too much Jonathan Swift ? Remember Occam’s Razor; take the idea seriously for a moment and think about it…
microsoft sql 2008(see toilet paper)
You’ve saved my life! Or to be more precise: You saved the life of my pc, since I was close to killing it!
Sql Server WITH tools worked perfect for me…
I have spent hours and hours installing management studio on Windows7 32 bit as well, it hasn`t yet. I have even treid the sql server 2008 express with tools, that one too does not install. How can an installation be so PAINFUL???
I just can`t remember how many times I have installed and uninstalled to no avail!
I jsut can`t tell how many times I have installed and uninstalled but to no avail. I have tried wen installer, sql server management studio with tools…How can an installation be so painful!!! But so far nothing is working!
Thanks god, I removed SQL 2008 R2, installed the Management studio, and it worked. Note that when I first tried to install SQL Man Stud after SQL 2008, even using the New Installation would not give me the option to install it. That is the worst installation method ever. It runs properly, and then doesn’t give you any indication that there is a problem, other than not showing you the item you are trying to install!
Nice work on a solution.
OMG, thank you from the bottom of my hear! You’ve just made my day
High five to Microsoft for being able to make such simple things complicated.
@arthur I think you should write novels instead
I write to ask permission to publish the top part of the page (just about down to the comments) with credit to you and original posting address as a page in my website. Currently resides at:
http://www.accessrocks.com/PRB_SSMS_CantInstallMSS2008MgmtStudioExpress.aspx
It is not on a menu yet, so no one will see it. I am grateful for the info. I know that pages come and go on the web. I want your answer to be present and with credit to you, so I excerpted as you will see.
If you prefer that I not do this, I will promptly if not happily remove the page.
Thanks for this article, I ran into the same issue when installing SQL Server 2008 express & management studio express on a Windows Server 2008 R2 server instance hosted in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 cloud
A huge thanks for the article, and one mega-giga-hyper congrats for the step-by-step
I lost already 4 hours trying the same 
I have even called MS tech support center and when I told them what is the issue they could not answer me!
It is totally disgusting. Spent all day trying to install this piece of crap. No wonder Apple started running all over Microsoft. I remember couple years ago when I was trying to do similar thing it was also problematic. Microsoft doesn’t improve.
Oh man! I did an upgrade on a 2005 to 2008 using the actual upgrade process in the installer (first mistake) to escape the filesize cap in 2005. Everything worked, except I hadn’t installed SSMS, so I downloaded the standalone and believe it or not it worked perfectly. However, later I uninstalled the server and reinstalled it and found myself encountering this issue with SSMS not installing. I checked and found SSMS.exe was already in \100\Tools\Binn\Vsomething\ but it wouldn’t run. Then I uninstalled Server 2008, installed SSMS, installed Server 2008 (found out that you can’t close the Server Installation Center dialog without deleting temp files and killing the install, too!) and it finally works!
Great article – glad to know someone else out there shared my pain. In the end, I chose to go for the definitive versions at TechNet (for those who subscribe of course) – the google results of for “SQL Server 2008 R2 Management Studio” is a veritable minefield
By the way, I think what your article needs is a the interration (step-by-step 1, 2, 3 ..) list of actions to take to in your “FIX” sectio, eg:
1. Go to technet.microsoft.com to download
2. Install SQLManagementStudio_x64_ENU.exe your tools,
3. Install SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe to install your database services.
(OR, if you are happy with an all in one package):
1. Goto technet.microsoft.com to download
2. Install Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Express
Hey, having the same problems. Thanks so much for finding out why, I will never know why microsoft thinks so polishly. Thanks, this ass-pain is releived!
I cannot even get either files to download without getting the SQLManagementStudio_x64_ENU.exe is not a valid Win32 Application – no matter how many times I try and download the file. Really frustrating. Still thanks for your post….I’ll definitely be bookmarking it.
This post is a live saver. Or at least a sanity saver! I ran into the exact same problems as you. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction
Never let any manager at some company say “Of course we use Microsoft products here” with the implication that they’re better suited for Enterprise-level work.
This is unbelievable that MS hasn’t gotten this working – even with hundreds of developers on this page with the same problem spanning years.
MS is a top-heavy virus upon computer software land.
You guys are just wonderful and u all are one herald of knowledge…..microsoft should be shut down for this sh*t they are calling SQL server advancement and for making life so difficult for newbies like me…..anywayz thumb up to u guys in the house
I only have 5 Words so say about this POST THANKS! THANKS! THANKS! THANKS! THANKS!
What the heck is wrong with MSFT!!!! GEEZ!!!!!!!!!
thank you very much. it helps
Thanks so much for this post! It helped clarify the confusion this particular MS install presents. I linked to your post on another site I found in googling this issue. It’s another option for how to get through this step by step. http://geekswithblogs.net/campuskoder/archive/2008/10/08/125727.aspx
Appreciate you all! Thanks!
Wish I had googled this after only 2 wasted hours, 4 hours of twisting and turning, un-installing, re-installing, regedit, whiskey, everything, you name it, i tried it, then i find this and reverse the install and hey presto it works, thank you!
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