Problem installing MS SQL 2008 Express

AndyASPVB

Hi I have problem re-installing SQL 2008 Express. The problem I am getting is even though I can double click on the icon, but when I check the install, I see that there is an error message on the register keys. The error message says that a "prior installations register keys cannot be modified, please check installation to fix error". Unfortunately, I cannot find on MSDN's website on where to find the appropriate fix. Yes, I did have a prior installation, but I removed it Add and Remove Programs, thinking this would give me a clean removal in order to fix another problem. Can anyone, please advise me on this problem in order that I may install SQL 2008 Express? Thanks

Roger Wright

I ran into the problem trying to install it the first time; apparently it didn't like having a preious version on the machine (2005). I tried several times a week for a few months to solve it, but never found a solution. After removing the 2005 version, it started whining about corrupted performance counters. And though there is a link to a manual (and extremely tedious) method of cleaning this up for the 2005 version, no such article existed at the time that had a procedure that works for the 2008 version. Hopefully that has been corrected by now, but I doubt it. I eventually gave up trying, installed it on my server instead, and with help from several kind CPians managed to make the server installation visible to the client. Another problem that doesn't sound like it applies to this situation exactly, but may bite you later, is that a number of users have found it impossible to install SS 2008 after installing Visual Studio. The reported fix for that was to install the SQL Server first, then install Visual Studio. If you do find a solution, please write up a procedure and publish it as an article. I'm sure a lot of CP members will find it useful!

"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"

AndyASPVB

Hi I have a solution - if you download Windows Installer Clean Up Utility run it this will remove all of the rubbish that SQL puts in. I did this and ran SQL Express Installer for 2008 and it works. The solution I found on MSDN forum for 2005 and found it works for 2008.

Roger Wright

Thanks! I found it using Google and grabbed a copy. :-D

"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"