Using VS05 SP1 Pro SQL Express…
In converting a program from VS03/MSDE, long ago I installed SQL 2005 Express with Advanced Services and everything was fine.Windows Update has recently been failing to install SQL 2005 Express with Advanced Services SP2.After no answers from the forums, and logs that were of no help, I decided to uninstall SQL 2005 Express with Advanced Services and reinstall SQL 2005 Express (basic version).As a test run, I did it on a desk top, no problems what so ever.
However, on my laptop, it has been a nightmare.
Question 1) in control panel, add/remove programs, all of SQL 2005 Express with Advanced Services uninstalled fine except one item - I am unable to uninstall MS SQL 2005 Backward Compatibility, getting the error message
A network error occurred while attempting to read from the file
c:\windows\installer\sqlserver2005_bc.msi
That file is not on the hard disk.
After installing SQL 2005 Express (the basic version), this problem persists and I cannot uninstall MS SQL 2005 Backward Compatibility for the same reason.
How can I get rid of MS SQL 2005 Backward Compatibility?
Question 2) Windows update still is trying to download and install SQL 2005 Express with Advanced Services SP2, even though I have uninstalled it.How to manually get rid of whatever settings are triggering this?
Thanks!
Bob
Using VS05 SP1 Pro SQL Express…
Server Explorer, Add Connection, Advance Settings Button, DataSource lists 3 options:
.\SQLEXPRESS
.\CSoltuion
.\MSSQLSERVER
I am only interested in the first one, SQLEXPRES, and would like to remove the other two (MSSQLSERVER is actually disabled because if you try to start it you get an error message The request failed or the server did not respond in a timely fashion).In Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, MS SQL Server 2005, Remove Button, it gives me the option to remove only
CSoltuion
SQLEXPRESS
If I choose CSoltuion to remove, it immediately does nothing and goes back to the add/remove screen.If I choose Remove for MS SQL Server 2005, CSoltuion is still there.
How do I get rid of
.\CSoltuion
.\MSSQLSERVER
Thanks!
Bob
|||Using VS05 SP1 Pro SQL Express…
Question 1) Is the only way to add a new named SQL instance to run the SQL Express (download file SQLEXPR32.EXE) and choose the name where it asks you to? This is incredibly time consuming and often you spend a lot of time to have it fail.
Question 2) In Add/Remove programs MS SQL Server 2005, I have two named instances
SQLEXPRESS
CSoltuion
If I choose either of them to be removed, nothing happens, and it instantly returns to the add/remove screen and they are still there. They are not listed as services under manager computer.
If I try add them by running SQLEXPR32.EXE, they are not listed as existing named instances (there is a button to check that before you choose a name), but when I get to the end (again, much time wasted), the install fails saying the named instance already exists.
How do I get rid of these two named instances?
Question 3) The only way I have been able to get a named instance to work is to choose a name that has never been used before, such as SQLForTheFirstTime, which is ridiculous.
I want a named instance only of SQLEXPRESS…How do I do that?
Thanks
Bob
|||I'm looking into this Bob. In the future, please don't post the same question multiple times, it doesn't get you an answer any faster.
Mike
|||Hi Bob,
Question 1) Is the only way to add a new named SQL instance to run the SQL Express (download file SQLEXPR32.EXE) and choose the name where it asks you to? This is incredibly time consuming and often you spend a lot of time to have it fail.
Yes, each named instance is a completely separate copy of SQL Express. There is no way to get a separate copy other than to install it.
Question 2) In Add/Remove programs MS SQL Server 2005, I have two named instances SQLEXPRESS
CSoltuion
If I choose either of them to be removed, nothing happens, and it instantly returns to the add/remove screen and they are still there. They are not listed as services under manager computer.
If I try add them by running SQLEXPR32.EXE, they are not listed as existing named instances (there is a button to check that before you choose a name), but when I get to the end (again, much time wasted), the install fails saying the named instance already exists.
How do I get rid of these two named instances?
So you're seeing Microsoft SQL Server 2005 in Add/Remove Programs, and the report lists the two instances you've named, but they don't uninstall. When you say they are not listed under Manage Computer, you're talking about the list of Services, right? It seems like you've already tried to remove these instances from your computer but something went wrong during the uninstall, do you remember removing these previously before noticing the failure you've described?
I have some ideas for getting rid of these, but it will royally mess up SQL Server if you actually have it installed. We need to be sure these really aren't there. Are there any SQL Tools on the Start menu? For example, can you find Start | All Programs | Microsoft SQL Server 2005 | Configuration Tools | SQL Server Configuration Manager? If it's there, launch it and see if it lists any instances of SQL Server and check their state. (Started, Stopped, etc.) If they are stopped, try to start them.
If there is nothing on the Start menu and/or you can't start any of the instances on your computer, you can try using the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility. This doesn't actually remove programs from your computer, it just removes the entries for the program in the windows installer registry so that windows installer doesn't think it's installed. This will really break any SQL Components that you do have installed, so be carful. Run the utility and try to remove the entry for Microsoft SQL Server 2005. Once you've done that, try installing again.
It's possible that you could still have problems based on SQL registry entries, but lets cross that bridge when we get to it.
|||As to your first paragraph, yes to everything.
Below is in chronological order after reading your message...
SQL Server Management Studio Express, Server Name, Browse For Servers shows the following local servers
(all prefaced by local machine name)
MICROSOFTSMLBIZ (for Outlook Business Contact Manager, MSDE Format I think)
MICROSOFTBCM (for Outlook Business Contact Manager, MSDE Format I think)
(MACHINE NAME ONLY)
SQLEXPRESS
CSOLUTION
SQLTEST
SQLEXPRESSDATA (this is the only one that works)
SQL Server Configuration Manager
SQL Server 2005 Services shows
SQLEXPRESS
SQLTEST
MSSQLSERVER
SQLEXPRESSDATA (this is the only one that works)
SQL Server 2005 Network Configuration shows
CSOLUTION (note this is not shown above)
SQLEXPRESS
SQLTEST
MSSQLSERVER
SQLEXPRESSDATA (this is the only one that works)
I then ran the Windows Install Clean up on
CSOLUTION
SQLEXPRESS
The only other one listed was
SQLEXPRESSDATA
Which I did not run it on because it is the only one working.
In add remove programs SQL 2005 remove button shows
CSOLUTION
SQLEXPRESS
SQLEXPRESSDATA
I clicked the radio button forSQLEXPRESS to remove it, and it tried to remove SQLEXPRESSDATA (the one that works), so I cancelled. I confirmed SQLEXPRESSDATA still works.
In computer manager services, it shows the following (note that the ones that did not start did not show before running Windows Install Cleanup)
SQLEXPRESS
SQLEXPRESSDATA (this is the only one that starts).
SQLTEST
MSSQLSERVER
SQL Server Management Studio Express and SQL Server Configuration Manager show the same thing after running Windows Install Cleanup.
The only way I have found to install a new instance is to use a name that has never been used before.
Also, when you create a new named instance, C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.4 starts at 4 (why does it not start at 1?) . SQLEXPRESSDATA (the only one that works) uses MSSQL.4
Where do we go from here? It looks like a real mess.
Thanks for your help.
Bob
|||Quick question on these forums -
can you Alt_PrtScrn and Paste a dialog box into a forum, without having to type it all out like it did above, to show you what you are asking for?
Bob
|||Try this:
Remove –Windows Installer Clean-Up Tool
http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/9/D/E9D80355-7AB4-45B8-80E8-983A48D5E1BD/msicuu2.exe
Hi Bob,
Answer to quick question: No, you can't paste graphics into the forum posts, I wish you could.
Since all the standard ways to remove SQL Express seem to be failing we'll have to go a bit more old school. Follow the instructions in this KB to manually remove SQL from the machine. You may need to do some of the steps for each instance you're wanting to get rid of. This should get you back to a clean state that will allow you to install the default named instance of SQL Express.
Mike
|||Based on the document, there were two options, here are the results:
Option 1 - Ran ARPWrapper.exe /Remove on CSolution, it did nothing. ARPWrapper.exe /Remove is the same as runing via the add/remove programs.
Option 2 - Looked at each GUID under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall, there was no Microsoft SQL entry.
No other approches in the document.
If I do a search on CSolution in the registry, there are entires, but I am hesitant to just start deleteing any I find.
Any other ideas?
Thanks
Bob
|||Hi Bob,
Where are you finding the entries for CSolution, and for that matter, SQLEXPRESS? Don't start deleting just yet, I'm discussing this with our setup team to get the right solution.
Mike
|||You can also find the product codes if you look in the registry under the InstId keys, located in a path like this:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.*\Setup
There will be one MSSQL.* key for each instance, numbered probably in order. Something like MSSQL.1, MSSQL.2, and so on.
|||Under VS03, the name of the solution was CSolution as well as the name of the SQL MSDE Instance.
When we upgraded to VS05/SQL Express, the name of the solution was changed to CSolution_Telephony and the SQL instance was first left at Csolution but then changed to SQLExpress (without CSolution being uninstalled).Everything worked fine for a long time.
All the SQL problems started when Windows Update could not install the SP2 for SQL Express Advanced, so we uninstalled it and reinstalled the basic SQL Express.We are now using a named instance of SQLExpressData which works fine.
This is a development machine, so it has VS05 Pro and VB express on it.
Registry Search for CSOLUTION
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Eventlog\Application\CSOLUTION
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Eventlog\Application\MSSQL$CSOLUTION
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Eventlog\Application\SQLAgent$CSOLUTION
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\Eventlog\Application\SQLCTR$CSOLUTION
Registry Search for SQLEXPRESS
My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\90\tools\ShellSEM\DataProject
My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VBExpress\8.0\DataProject
My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VBExpress\8.0\Find
My Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VWDExprss\8.0\DataProject
Thansk!
Bob
|||Here are two more that did not appear in the find, but where there when I looked at these specific places based on another post in this thread.
Registry for CSOLUTION
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2
Registry for SQLEXPRESS
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1
This is an odd one…
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.5 (no value set).
Only MSSQL.4, which is SQLExpressData, appear as folders in Program\MS SQL SERVER
Thanks,
Bob Day
|||Hi Bob,
Per R. Greens instructions, take a look at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.*\Setup. The * in this case would be 2 for CSOLUTION and 1 for SQLEXPRESS. You shoud be able to find the Product Code listed there and use that product code with msiexec as described in the KB article.
Let us know how what happens.
Mike
sql