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.
27 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!
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