[dba-VB] Work with SQL Server and Express edition

jwcolby jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Wed May 30 11:11:29 CDT 2007


It turns out that you can have the Standard and Express Edition engines
running side by side on the same machine.  I just did something wrong (can't
remember what now). I did end up uninstalling, installing SQL Server
Standard Edition, then reinstalling SQL Express edition, and now both
engines are visible and usable.  What I did not do was attempt to reinstall
the express edition management studio.  There is no point really and besides
that version is crippled.

For some reason the Express edition engine is much more forgiving of the
database file not being available as the engine service starts.  With
Standard Edition it acts as if the database file is unattached, and yet you
can still see the icon etc.  You have to go delete it and then attach the
data file to get the database back.  If you try to use it before doing that
stuff, for example from my billing database in access, the attempts to
access the data just hangs access until the timeout occurs.

With Express edition OTOH, the express edition service starts on bootup.
The data file is not available, it is on an encrypted drive which is not yet
mounted.  And yet when I mount the encrypted drive and then open the billing
program, the links "just work".  It is almost as if Express edition has a
"mount on demand" functionality.  That makes sense of course given Express
edition's stated purpose in life.  It would be nice if Standard Edition
would attempt to mount a dismounted drive in the same manner.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com 
-----Original Message-----
From: dba-vb-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-vb-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Francisco Tapia
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 11:35 AM
To: dba-vb at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: Re: [dba-VB] Work with SQL Server and Express edition

I don't think the engine is "upgradeable" when it's similar versions like
that, I've always found myself uninstalling and then re-installing the
engine. (This was back in the days of MSDE) it was either that or installing
an "instance" of sql server standard.

--
Francisco

On 5/26/07, jwcolby <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com> wrote:
>
> I want to work with express edition databases as the data source for 
> some of my VB.Net projects, but full SQL Server databases for others.  
> How do I go about doing this?  I started with express edition on my 
> new laptop simply because I installed Visual studio first and it 
> installed Express edition.
> Then I went out and found / installed the Express edition Management 
> Studio.
> When I tried to install SQL Server Standard Edition, it basically told 
> me there was nothing to do, and did not install Standard Edition 
> Management Studio, which I need.
>
> What do I need to do now?
>
> John W. Colby
> Colby Consulting
> www.ColbyConsulting.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> dba-VB mailing list
> dba-VB at databaseadvisors.com
> http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-vb
> http://www.databaseadvisors.com
>
>


--
-Francisco
http://sqlthis.blogspot.com | Tsql and More...
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