SQL Server Express 2008 Install Side-by-side w/ SQL 2005 Express Fails

Question

When I try to install a new instance of SQL Server 2008 Express on a development machine with SQL 2005 Express already up and running, the install validation fails because the "SQL 2005 Express tools" are installed and I'm told to remove them.

What exactly does that mean?

After reading this article:

http://www.asql.biz/Articoli/SQLX08/Art1_5.aspx

I uninstalled the 2005 version of the SQL Management Studio but received the same error from the 2008 installer during my follow-up attempt.

Updates

1) Uninstalled the SQL 2005 Management Studio only. Received the same error from the 2008 install.

2) Removed all SQL 2005 common components. Received the same error from the 2008 install.

3) Installed the shared components from the SQL 2008 installation program. Received the same error from the 2008 install when trying to install the new SQL 2008 instance.

4) Uninstalled SQL 2008 components, rebooted, re-installed SQL 2005 Management Studio from installation media, rebooted, un-installed SQL 2005 Workstation Components from Control Panel, re-booted.

Installation of SQL 2008 is now proceeding as it should.

Seems likely that if I'd re-booted after update 2 above things would have gone more smoothly. :-(

Answer 1

Although you should have no problem running a 2005 instance of the database engine beside a 2008 instance, The tools are installed into a shared directory, so you can't have two versions of the tools installed. Fortunately, the 2008 tools are backwards-compatible. As we speak, I'm using SSMS 2008 and Profiler 2008 to manage my 2005 Express instances. Works great.

Before installing the 2008 tools, you need to remove any and all "shared" components from 2005. Try going to your Add/Remove programs control panel, find Microsoft SQL Server 2005, and click "Change." Then choose "Workstation Components" and remove everything there (this will not remove your database engine).

I believe the 2008 installer also has an option to upgrade shared components only. You might try that. Good luck!

Answer 2

In my case even after uninstalling all 2005 related components it didn't worked. I had to resort to a brute force way and remove following registry keys

32 Bit OS: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\90

64 Bit OS: HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\90