What about Sql Server Data Tools for VS2012 being incompatible with Sql Server 2012?

Question

In what seems to be a very odd turn, I am trying to create a Sql Database project in Visual Studio 2012, and am getting this nutty error:

And clicking on either link leads to a Page Not Found at Microsoft.com, which is odd in itself.

From the bare text of the error message, which is (for search purposes):

Unable to open Database Project

This version of SQL Server Data Tools is not compatible with the database runtime components installed on this computer.

Considering that I have Sql Server 2012 Developer Edition installed on the workstation, this seems incredible. I can open or create a database project in VS2008 with Sql Server 2012 DE installed, so why not VS 2012?

Answer 1

I Installed SQL Server 2012 Service pack 1 yesterday and then I started getting the problem you describe in Visual Studio 2012. Not only with database projects; I could not use the SQL Server Object Explorer, not open sql-scripts and lots of other weird database related errors. Always with the same message:

"This version of SQL Server Data Tools is not compatible with ... bla, bla, bla ..."

This solution helped me: https://web.archive.org/web/20150315060703/http://blog.wharton.com.au/2012/11/16/sql-server-2012-sp-1-breaks-sql-server-database-projects/ Hope this can help you too

Update: With the March 2013 Release it seems you have to also update the SQL Server Data Tools available here See the comments in this post for more details.

Answer 2

This happened to me in visual studio 2012 on an existing project after I installed visual studio 2013. Installing the 2012 tools fixed it as others have said but the link provided in previous answers wasn't the one I needed. the link that did it for me is here

Answer 3

Just downloading and installing the SQL Server Data Tools cured this for me;

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=274984

Answer 4

Just in case the downloaded SQL Server Data Tools is not working. You can try to download this version:

SQL Server Data Tools download