Yesterday I paved my laptop in order to upgrade to Windows Vista. I’ve now started to reinstall everything from scratch again. However, one thing that didn’t work out was the installation of SQL Server 2005. No matter what I tried I could not seem to get it to install the SQL Server Management Studio – somehow it was convinced that it already existed. I eventually figured out why.
I’d installed Visual Studio 2008 first, and as part of that installation it installed SQL Server 2005 Express edition. The express edition does not come with SQL Server Management Studio. When I went to install SQL Server 2005 it refused to install the management studio saying that more up-to-date versions of the tools were already available on the machine. (Well, I suppose some of them were, at least the ones installed by Visual Studio 2008’s installer). Running the Service Pack 2 upgrade did not help either. It concluded that the client tools were not valid as part of the upgrade and refused to install them.
Eventually I came to the conclusion that it would be quicker, given my recent wiping of my laptop to just start afresh again and install things in the correct order. I suppose I was lucky to have that option. I am also lucky that I don’t activate Windows until I’m sure everything is installed correctly – after all I do have 30 days to activate Windows. I’d hate to have lost an activation of Windows because of a dodgy install.
So what is the installation order I’ve now used that works:
- Windows Vista SP1
- Windows Update (my install required 33 updates)
- SQL Server 2005
- SQL Server 2005 SP2
- Visual Studio 2008
PLEASE NOTE: The above is what worked for me. I’ve also heard that it has worked for others too. It comes with no warranties of any kind.
If you are having difficulty installing your SQL Server you may like to ask a question on one of the many fine forums that are available for asking questions of that nature. I tend to hang out on Code Project and may be able to help there. If I’m not around then one of the many other great members can possibly help you on their database forum.
The Blog of Colin Mackay 
I’ve come across this same problem before! If you don’t have the option of wiping your machine, one possibility is to install SQL 2005 with the ‘SKUUPGRADE=1’ which will switch off the check of checking for a more up to date version.d:englishsql2005enterprise32bittoolssetup.exe SKUUPGRADE=1
You have the option of unninstalling only sql server 2005 express edition and install SQL Server 2005.
@Tim Leung Great tip.For everyone else, be careful – The switch is case sensitive so you must put it in uppercase otherwise the installer will just ignore it.
Good tip, thanks !FYI, had a similar problem setting up a new server.After a lot of trying I finally found out that the backup device’s software (in this case Norton), which was preinstalled, used an express edition. I could have really used this article back then.Tim Leung’s solution, by the way, didn’t work for me. Perhaps I didn’t heed his uppercase warning though…
Thanks for the tip. It really works
Visual Studio / SQL Server install order on Windows 7
re: Visual Studio / SQL Server install order on Windows 7
Hi, all: I have been trying to install sql server 2005 on windows 7 and no matter what the order of installation is, I get “Connection error 18456” . I installed VS 2008 first and then SQLSer 2005 then I removed the VS2008 and Install SQL server 2005 by itsself and I can not get through this problem. Does anybody out there know how to fix this problem????Please helpthx
VS 2008 on Vista 64-Bit
I AM ALSO CONFUSE WHICH ORDER IT SHOULD BE .I TRIED FIRST VS ANS SQL IT WANT WORK THAN I TRIED FOR SQL FIRST AND VS IT WORK BUT NOW I DONT WAN WORK ON SQL I WAN USE SQLEXPRESS DEFAULT OF VS SO HOW TO SWITCH IN OPTION IS ANY BODY HASE IDEA .IS POSSIBLE TO USE SQL AND SQLEXPRESS BOTH FOR TWO DIFFERENT PROJECT IN SINGLE PC SAME VS ?
1. office
2. sql
3. vs