Installing SQL Server Express 2005 on Windows 7

When installing SQL Server 2005 RTM/SP1/SP2 and SQL Server 2008 RTM on Windows 7 RC it presents you with a warning message. The message says that this SQL Server version has a known compatibility issues with Windows 7 RC. This warning is genuine and applies to all SQL Server editions, including all Express editions. The incompatibility was fixed in SQL Server 2008 Service Pack1 and SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3.

You can safely continue the installation by clicking "Run program" button and apply the latest service pack afterwards. In some cases you may be presented with this warning message multiple times during the installation process.

Once the installation is complete please apply the latest SQL Server service pack. You can use Windows Update to do so (in Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Update). Just be sure to click "Get updates for more Microsoft products" to start obtaining updates for SQL Server. SQL Server service packs should show up on the list of optional updates. You may need to kick-off the scan for updates manually if not - you can do it by clicking "Check for updates" link on the left pane of main Windows Update window.

If for some reason Windows Update doesn't work for you, please download and install latest service pack manually.

Download SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3

Download SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1

If you're installing SQL Server 2005 Express (any Express edition) or SQL Server 2008 Express (Runtime Only) you can just download the SQL Server Express package containing the latest service pack. This may seem counter-intuitive if you already have some Express package, but installing it and then downloading and applying service pack is going to take longer than downloading a package already containing the latest service pack and installing it. Plus, in case of SQL Server 2008 Express the service pack package is actually bigger than the SQL Server Express package, since the service pack is shared with all SQL Server 2008 editions.

INSTALLATION WALKTHROUGH

The SQLEXPR_ADV.EXE installer we provide is one of which Microsoft states to be:

Free to download, free to redistribute, free to embed, and easy for new developers to use immediately, a simple but powerful development environment for building data-driven applications.

While there are various way to install SQL Server Express, the following is the suggested installation tested to work with various MineSight products.

If you have not enabled certain windows features for IIS, SSRS will not be an available option to install.

Go to >Control Panel>Programs>Programs and Features>Turn Windows features on or off

You will want to enable these features in Internet Information Services to allow complete installation of SSRS with SQL 2005 EXPRESS:

Return to the Control Panel and Select >Sytem and Securty>Administrative Tools >Internet Information Services

Select the Default Web Site in the left pane and select Authentication from the IIS pane on the bottom

Enable Windows Authentication and File >Exit

You are ready to install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with Advanced Services Service Pack 3 (SQLEXPR_ADV.EXE)

Accept the licensing terms and conditions and click >Next

Click >Next

Click >Next

Click >Next

When Configuration Check is completed, Click >Next

Fill out appropriate Site Information and Click >Next

Enable these features and Click >Next

You can accept the default name for your Server Instance or customize it then Click >Next

Use Local System for all services then Click >Next

Use Mixed Mode Authentication and enter an sa password (it is not recommended to use your same Windows Authentication password) then Click >Next

Accept the default then Click >Next

Make sure both check boxes are selected then Click >Next

Install the default configuration for SSRS Click >Next

This is purely optional, but we typically do not send additional info to Microsoft. Click >Next

Finally ready to install. Click >Install

Click >Finish then you are ready to make some additional server configurations before first use

SQL SERVER 2005 SURFACE AREA CONFIGURATION ON WINDOWS 7

Next open the Surface Area Configuration tool from Start >All Programs >Microsoft SQL Server 2005 >Configuration Tools

Select “Add New Administrator”

The current user should be displayed on the upper right. This tool will ensure the user is a member of the sysadmin group for the local instance of SQL Express.

Click the double arrows in the middle and the user should be moved over to the right pane then Click >OK

Now click Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections.

Set the startup type to Automatic for the Database Engine Service

Enable both Local and remote connections

Enable the startup type to Automatic for the Reporting Services service

Set the SQL Server Browser to Automatic

Once these are all selected Click Apply and OK.

Now select Surface Area Configuration for Features and enable the following selections:

Once these are all selected Click Apply and OK.

Now finish up the configuration by opening Next open the Surface Area Configuration tool from Start >All Programs >Microsoft SQL Server 2005 >Configuration Tools >Reporting Services Configuration

Select the local install of SQLEXPRESS (the name may be different if you changed the name)

Check the “Apply Default Settings” and Click >Apply

Check the “Apply Default Settings” and Click >Apply

Choose the built-in account with ..\NetworkService

You may be prompted to create a backup.snk file. Name it appropriately and make sure to remember the password

Click >OK

Successful confirmation

Click Connect and Apply to apply default settings (note you may be prompted with a similar permission window as in the step before)

TURN OFF WINDOWS FIREWALL FOR DOMAIN CONECTIONS TO ALLOW REMOTE ACCESS (even local to the internet interface)

In > Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Firewall > Turn Windows Firewall on or off

You should now have access to your web interface at http://localhost/Reports$SQLEXPRESS.

Installation completed.

You may now install the service packs at this time.