(Default) instance already exists (not really!)

Ok,

I haven't had this much trouble installing MS software in many moons. My end goal is to install Team Foundation Server, but to do that I need SQL Server 2005 first, then SharePoint, then TFS. At each of these steps it is appearing to be a mine field, and it is apparent that the MS Installer is doing a terrible job at uninstalling everything.

End of whine. So my situation is this, I had installed MS SQL Server Developer 2005 and found out that the Reporting Server wasn't working. Basically, because at one time or another I had FP extentions installed, and permissions were hopelessly munged. The fix on the forums was to back everything out... SQL Server, IIS, Sharepoint, and do a scorch and burn, effectively erradicating any trace that any of these existed on the disk.

This accomplished, but... now when I try to reinstall SQL Server, it claims the default instance "already exists." So... I've tried various registry hacks, tracking down any trance of instances. Here are some of things I've tried to no avail...

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=148487&SiteID=1
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290991&sd=tech
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301

So... short of going beyond scorch and burn, and nuke the entire machine, what are my options? Erasing the OS and starting from scratch does not seem like an option because, it seems, that seems I'll never get anything installed if I have to keep doing this.

Ideas anyone? Your help is greatly appreciated.

-Eric

FYI -- When running RegSeeker I find nearly 300 bogus registry entries left over from the MS uninstall--someone's got to fix that.Ok, I found a possible solution. But... it is very very risky. So don't blame me if you torpedo your server using my advice. But it worked for me.

But I'm posting this in case someone else find themselves in the same bind as me.

Following the suggestion of one of the other forum posts I saw, I looked for all entries for SQL Server. I saw a zillion entries for version 9.0.242.0.

Using RegSeeker, I wacked those. So they were gone.

Next, I saw another bazillion entries for "SQL Server." I surmized that SQL Server was completely uninstalled, these should be gone as well. So I delete those as well.

Another search for "SQLServer" also turned up a bazillion entries. Most of these were classes. Taking a deep breath, I deleted all of these as well.

In all, there were many thousands of registry entries that probably should have been deleted by the uninstall, but weren't.

So far, I've managed to reinstall SQL Server 2005 Developer and all is A-OK. So problem solved (I'd knock on wood if I have any real wood in my cube).

-Ericsql

"Your upgrade is blocked"

I am getting the following error message when I tried installing the 2005 Developer Edition from the MSDN kit. I previously installed the 2005 Express Edition, and it worked just fine, so I thought that the install failed as it was at a lower version than the Express Edition. I uninstalled the SQLExpress Edition, however, when I try to install SQL Server 2005 again, I get the following message:

Name: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Tools

Reason: Your upgrade is blocked. For more information about upgrade support, see the "Version and Edition Upgrades" and "Hardware and Software Requirements" topics in SQL Server 2005 Setup Help or SQL Server 2005 Books Online.

Build version check:

Your upgrade is blocked because the existing component is a later version than the version you are trying to upgrade to. To modify an existing SQL Server component, go to Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel, select the component you would like to modify, and then click Change/Remove.

Name: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Tools

Reason: Your upgrade is blocked. For more information about upgrade support, see the "Version and Edition Upgrades" and "Hardware and Software Requirements" topics in SQL Server 2005 Setup Help or SQL Server 2005 Books Online.

Build version check:

Your upgrade is blocked because the existing component is a later version than the version you are trying to upgrade to. To modify an existing SQL Server component, go to Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel, select the component you would like to modify, and then click Change/Remove.

I have also installed Visual Studio NET, and I wonder if some component in the Studio app is holding back the SQL Server install. I have uninstalled all SQL components several times already, and I keep on getting this message.

Gregory

Gregory

Gregory, when you go to Add/Remove Programs, do you see any SQL 2005 installation info there? If so, what versions does the report say?

Also, what version of SQL Server Express did you install? RTM or SP1?

Thanks,
Samuel Lester (MSFT)

sql

"Failed to create web application" error during installation of SQL 2k5b2

I was installing SSRS 2005 Beta 2 and near completion of the installation, i encountered the following error. I don't know what causes this. How can i avoid this? I've installed the rest of the whole SQL 2K5 package.

Machine : xxxxx
Product : Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services Beta 2
Product Version : 9.00.852
Install : Failed
Log File : C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Files\SQLSetup0017_xxxxxx_RS.log
Last Action : InstallFinalize
Error String : The setup failed to create web application: /LM/W3SVC/1/Root/Reports. The error code is -2146959355.

Ok its working now. the MS DTC was enabled but not all its options were selected. I selected all of them, and reinstalled it worked.

If there's anyone just as blurr as i am, its available in WinXP thru the

Administrative tools > Component Services option.

In the left console, Expand 'Console Root > Component Services > Computers'. You should see My Computer as the next node.

The funny thing is, on my pc, when right-clicking on My Computer, i couldn't see the 'Properties' option. I had to click 'Configure My Computer' button at the toolbar (should be the last button) to enable MS DTC. AFter that , the properties option was visible on the menu.

Hope this helps anyone who might face this problem.

"Enable user SQL instances"

Hi I have Visual Studio 2005 with SP1 installed, and I want to install the Management Studio. I tried many times installing that and I always got the same problem, which is when I try to create a database in VS I just don’t get trough as I used to. A message appears saying that I’ve to enable some estance. So to resolve the problem I saw if is everything ok with the SQL Server, which seemed to be fine, but I couldn’t start the Report service.

Now I just formatted the computer and I’m afraid to happen all over again. May be the version with only the Management would be fine, I don’t know if it adds something beside of that.

Thank you very much.

After installing Express, you need to explicitly enable remote connections. Is this the issue you are seeing? If not, please supply an exact error message or a log snippet showing the problem.

Thanks,
Sam Lester (MSFT)

|||

Was about "Enable user SQL instances" and the Report Service didn’t started too.

How do I enable this remote connections?

And in the instalation, Should I Add a user to the SQL Server Administration Role?

And also in the step "ready to install" of the SQL Server SP2 shows the following:

The following components will be installed:

· SQL Server Database Services (Upgrade)

(Database Services, Replication, Full-Text Search)

· Reporting Services

(Reporting Services, Report Manager)

· Client Components (Upgrade)

(Connectivity Components, Management Studio Express)

Warning: Setup found that the following components that already exist are at a different service pack level than the components being installed.

Components: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Tools Express Edition, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (SQLEXPRESS)

After completing setup, you must download and apply the latest SQL Server 2005 service pack to all the components.