Installing SQL Server Express 2008

We are documenting herewith our own esperiences installing and/or upgrading SQL Server Express instances in various flavours.

Notice:

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Microsoft Corporation is not responsible for the information herewith provided and therefore disclaims all warranties, whether express implied or statutory, fitness for particular purpose, title and non-infringement.

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Index

Foreword

Installing SQLExpress and SQL Server Management Studio

SQL Server Management Studio Basic

Installing a SQLExpress named instance

Installing a SQLExpress default instance

Installing a SQLExpress 2005 and SQLExpress 2008 side by side

Upgrading an existing SQLExpress 2005 with Advanced Services instance to SQLExpress 2008 with Advanced Services

Uninstalling an existing SQLExpress 2008 instance

Foreword (back)

All tests have been performed on a limited VMWare virtual machine equipped with 1Gb of RAM and a little virtual hard disk of 8Gb.
The guest operating system used is Windows XP at service pack 3 level, localized in english language, with IIS up and running.

Interesting information about installing and upgrading SQLExpress instances, especially useful for intra-edition changes can be found at the SQLExpress Web Blog

Having the master machine prepared installing all required pre-requisites like

Windows Installer 4.5

.Net FrameWork 3.5 sp1

PowerShell component

we cloned the very same basic machine for all successive experiences, maintaining a comparable (virtual) hardware equipment.

All versions of SQLExpress used for test are english localized.

Initial scenario, at system reboot, in order to have a clean and unloaded machine, we recorded:

File system