Completely uninstall SQL. Have hidden instance - sql-server

I have an instance titled 'SQLEXPRESS' remaining, when I try to install SQL 2014.
I have uninstalled every program with SQL in the name from Add/remove programs.
I cannot remove this, how can I perform a complete uninstall?

Maybe try to restart your machine.
Also you can find help on the Microsoft website

Related

Oracle Linked Server in SQL Server 2017

I'm trying to set up a linked server from a SQL Server 2017 instance to an Oracle database. I have found similar questions where the question is for Visual Studio and the answer was to install ODAC, but the link provided is to a 32 bit ODAC specifically for VS2017.
Other solutions I have found suggest installing the full Oracle Server. I just need the OraOLEDB.Oracle provider for a LinkedServer on SQL Server. I have the TNSNAMES file and everything and have accomplished this before, but only by installing the full Oracle Server, but that feels like overkill. What is the minimum I would need to install and configure on my SQL Server box to accomplish this? This feels like it should be very easy to accomplish, but for some reason it is not for me.
Many thanks!
OK after several hours I figured this out myself. I needed to install the 64 bit ODAC components from the Oracle Website.
Once I had that I needed to unzip and execute the install.bat batch process from command prompt, running cmd.exe as an administrator
d:\oracle\install.bat all c:\oracle odac
*Note above, you can download your ODAC to anywhere, for me it was a directory I created in d:\oracle... and you can install to anywhere, but I think c:\oracle is common.
Once I did that, I needed to add c:\oracle and c:\oracle\bin to my PATH environment variable.
So this was quite simple in the end. Hope this helps someone else trying to navigate the same challenge.

There's no Microsoft SQL Server when I searched it, do I have to install it?

I have to configure the SQL Server, but when I look for it, I cannot find it. I even search the folders, C:/Windows/SysWOW64/SQLServerManager as indicated, should I install it?
If you want to be completely sure, try to check the Local Windows Services on your PC Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Administrative Tools\Services for SQL Server related services, see below. If you have none - you do not have SQL Server installed.

SQL Server 2008 Installation

I'm trying to install MS SQL Server 2008 on my Win 7 enabled laptop. I'm facing a problem while selecting the path to install. When I go on choose 'installation' and then when I click on 'New SQL Server stand alone installation or add features to an existing installation' it pops up a browse dialog box to select installation folder. I selected c:/program files/Microsoft SQL Server/ and tried all the folders under this folder. However, it gives me an error message saying
c:/program files/Microsoft SQL Server/ is not a valid installation folder
I tried 1000 times but still I'm getting the same error. I already had SQL Server 2005 and I uninstalled it. After that I'm only trying to install MS SQL Server 2008. What is the problem here? How can I fix this issue?
I recently had the same problem, I did the following:
Lets say you downloaded the SQLServer2008R2SP1-KB2528583-x86-ENU file to get SQL 2008 R2 and it won't accept the folder you choose. It is looking for your installation media AKA files to install your chosen option e.g. Upgrade or install.
Right click on the SQLServer2008R2SP1-KB2528583-x86-ENU file, click on extract files (winrar options). This will extract the install file giving you all the files that was compressed.
When SQL 2008 R2 Install Center ask you to choose the folder, select the extracted folder with all the files... problem solved!
I think the error that you run into is just a case of bad choice of words from Microsoft. When they give the message: "select installation folder" they actually mean the drive that contains your Sql Server installation Dvd. I run into the same problem, and all I had to do was select the dvd drive and it worked.
Durden81 is right - The error really means that it can't find the installation file. This seems to be a bug on versions of SQL Sever downloaded from internet or installed as part of the Visual Web Developer Express 2010 bundle.
I was searching for an answer to the same question and came across this. Unfortunately the other replies did not work for me. What did work was the following:
Go to the control panel and uninstall everything to do with "Microsoft SQL Server 2008" and any other version of SQL Sever you might have.
Restart your computer and go to the Microsoft Download center (http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/default.aspx) and search for: Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Express with Tools
Unpack this and run the installation.
Restart your computer before running Visual Studio again
While I don't think this has ever been a requirement, since it's not really clear from your question exactly which component is choking on the path, I suggest trying a simpler path with no spaces, e.g. "C:\MSSQL\" ...
I am agree with Durden81. It's actually the problem regarding the path. It wants you to choose the path where the sql server setup file lies. Give the correct path of the setup file, whether it is in DVD or in a drive.
Give the path of installer, this helped me.
For example if you have the SQL server installer on C:\SQL SERVER\Enterprise Edition\setup.exe
Provide the same path, this will solve the issue.
I got this error because the installation package was located on a network/virtual location. To resolve this, I found the correct path (by asking IT) and ran the .exe as administrator. All is good.
I received this error when clicking on the app in "Add/Remove Programs" to add features to the current install. Yes, you can proceed as #Marc Uberstein's answer, but re-running the ENU with a double click should get you where you need to go, without extracting, bypassing the "Add/Remove Programs" piece altogether. Not sure from your question if that is the route you took to arrive at the error, but this was the issue for me.
It depend on what error prompt you are getting. If it's saying "wrong folder" or something of that nature, then it's the folder that's causing the error. Just delete all the folders of sqlserver on your computer and restart and it should work, or you can go to property of that sqlserver folder and in advanced and un-check the compress and re-run. It should definitely work.

SQL Server 2008 R2 Install Won't Work

I'm trying to install the developer edition of SQL Server 2008 R2. I run the setup as admin, but after it installs the "Setup Support Files", it closes and returns back to the installation center screen.
Any ideas?
I had this same problem and it appears to be something to do with previous versions leaving behind elements in their install/uninstall. I fixed it by running the Microsoft install/uninstall utility linked below. During the process you are asked what program you are trying to install and MSSQL Server 2008 R2 is listed. After running this the install continued after the "Setup Support Files" stage. Hope it helps!
http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall
So does it even installs Support files? You can check it by looking into "Programs and Features" (if using Windows Vista or 7) and if it is not there then it is not even installing support files. In that case may be you are missing components required for Support files itself (e.g. older version of Windows Installer).
Sometimes, SQL Server installer itself acts funny and without any reason it just crashes. Did you tried to run it again? Or try to run the installer after rebooting your system (I know this sound like a too rookie advice but in many cases rebooting OS solves issue).
The problem started when I change the shared folder directory from \Program Files(86)\SQL Server to custom folder. If I could have rename back to default, it should have been fine but I stop the installation and restart the install again assuming it will install fresh, but it did not and it hangs all the time.
I appreciate the comment from Lee, as per his advice I ran the fix it tool from Microsoft. The tool finds SQL Server 2008 R2 installed and I choose to uninstall.
When re-install the SQL Engine, it went through because this time, I did not change the Share Folder location and leave it to the default. I think this is some kind of bug in the SQL Installation. I wonder why Installation has to hang...!
The problem might be the location of the Setup Support Files.
Remove all the Setup Support Files using Control Panel/Uninstall Program.
After that install SQL 2008 from the beginning.

sql server 2008 express setup problem

I previously had sql server 2005 express and uninstalled it.. I also uninstalled any vs related programs and installed visual web developer 2008 express edition with SP1. now that I am trying to install sql server 2008, I am seing error messages like no other and leave that alone without any suggestions..
the latest one which I could not come to a proper solution on the internet is;
consistency validation for sql server registry keys error which suggests
"The SQL Server registry keys from a prior installation cannot be modified. To continue, see SQL Server Setup documentation about how to fix registry keys.
as you might have guessed nothing so informative in the documentation... Also, when I try to delete any sql server related registry key, it does not let me. (yes I stopped all the related services..)
anybody here that can be of any assistance?
You can try with this procedure :
Stop all SQL Server Services
Remove all SQL Server Services with sc delete servicename
Control Panel - Add/Remove Programs - Select and Remove all Microsoft
SQL Server programs
Open regedit and remove all SQL Server folders in this registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/ SOFTWARE/MICROSOFT
Remove SQL Server folders from Program Files directory
Reboot
This procedure should resolve the issue, i've resolved with this procedure ...
i found this to happen if you had an add-in for SSMS installed which hasn't been uninstalled before ssms was uninstalled.
You may need to change the permissions on the relevant registry keys using regedt32 first so that you can then delete the keys via normal regedit
Well actually, I believe, one should not go through such mess in order to accomplish a simple task like this. In the end, I ended up formatting my PC and re-installing SQL Server.
I know this is an old question and you already said in comments that you reformatted the machine. However, I just ran into this exact message and wanted to share my solution because it was so easy, but the error message didn't help at all!
I was using the wrong installation package. I had a 64-bit Intel Windows 7 computer and I was trying to use the x86 version of SQL Server 2008. Once I found the correct version (x64) I did not get this error and the install proceeded normally.
I had a similar problem because I still had some remnants of SQL Server 2005 left - not the services, it was some parts of the IDE. Anyway, to resolve it I used the option to upgrade (sorry, I can't remember the exact option just now). After running the upgrade portion, which took a few minutes, I could then run the full install with no problems.

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