Installing SQL Server Express 2005

I'm not able to remove previous version of SQL Server Express 2005 (CTP). It is listed under "Add or Remove Programs", but without REMOVE button. I tried to remove it before, but unsucessfully.

As result, I can't install release version that comes with the Visual Studio 2005 Pro.

Here is the last *_Core.log from C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Files:

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Setup beginning at Fri Nov 18 21:29:08 2005
Process ID : 500
c:\7d4db81c6810fe28cd3f7014507d\setup.exe Version: 2005.90.1399.0
Running: LoadResourcesAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8
Complete: LoadResourcesAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8, returned true
Running: ParseBootstrapOptionsAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8
Loaded DLL:c:\7d4db81c6810fe28cd3f7014507d\xmlrw.dll Version:2.0.3604.0
Complete: ParseBootstrapOptionsAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8, returned true
Running: ValidateWinNTAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8
Complete: ValidateWinNTAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8, returned true
Running: ValidateMinOSAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8
Complete: ValidateMinOSAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8, returned true
Running: PerformSCCAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8
Complete: PerformSCCAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8, returned true
Running: ActivateLoggingAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8
Complete: ActivateLoggingAction at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8, returned true
Delay load of action "DetectPatchedBootstrapAction" returned nothing. No action will occur as a result.
Action "LaunchPatchedBootstrapAction" will be skipped due to the following restrictions:
Condition "EventCondition: __STP_LaunchPatchedBootstrap__500" returned false.
Running: PerformSCCAction2 at: 2005/10/18 21:29:8
Loaded DLL:C:\WINDOWS\system32\msi.dll Version:3.1.4000.2435
Product "{2AFFFDD7-ED85-4A90-8C52-5DA9EBDC9B8F}" versioned 9.00.1116 is not compatible with current builds of SQL Server.Expected at least version: 9.00.1399.06
The Product Name is "Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition CTP"
Loaded DLL:C:\WINDOWS\system32\msi.dll Version:3.1.4000.2435
Error: Action "PerformSCCAction2" threw an exception during execution.
Return Code: 70032
Message displayed to user
SQL Server 2005 Setup has detected incompatible components from beta versions of Visual Studio, .NET Framework, or SQL Server 2005. Use Add or Remove Programs to remove these components, and then run SQL Server 2005 Setup again. For detailed instructions on uninstalling SQL Server 2005, see the SQL Server 2005 Readme.

Delay load of action "UploadDrWatsonLogAction" returned nothing. No action will occur as a result.
Message pump returning: 70032

Any advice, please?

This is very strange. I've never heard of the "Remove" button disappearing. If you have the original installation media you can run the following:

setup.exe /qb REMOVE=ALL INSTANCENAME=<your instance name>

If you did the default installation for Express the instanace name will be SQLEXPRESS. If you installed as the default instance it'll be MSSQLSERVER.

Dan

|||The only reason I'm aware of that you would see that behaviour is when you look at add/remove under a non-admin account, although in some applications you only get a Change button, which gives you the option to remove or modify the components.|||

Installing SQL Server express

I had the same problem. (The problem is with sql server 9)My solution is a collection of many ideas. Credit to all.
0. I used the recommended uninstaller (vs_uninst_betas.exe) - it did not work
1. Delete the menu entries
2. Delete the files in %programfiles%\Microsoft SQL Server
3. Delete the files in %programfiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 8
4. Go to %windir%\microsoft.net\framwork and delete all those old v2.0.* directories
5. Get a registry cleaner and clean the bulk of the orphan entries
6. Run the vs uninstaller (vs_uninst.exe) - by the way it does not like it if you have internet explorer open at the same time
7. Get a cup of tea - run the regedit.exe program. Search in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for "9.00." and delete all the sql server 9 related entries. (Ensure that you do not delete entries used by other programs - check the DisplayName value first)

8. If you belong to a domain ensure that your privileges can be verified -if not then login as the local administrator before installing

Great product, a pity about the lose ends.

This toke me about 16 hours to solve. See http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=119089&SiteID=1

sql