there are numerous complains about it on the net. mostly about

....incompatible beta components...
....can't find .Net Framework 2.0 (hello?! but which version!???)...
v2.0.40607?
v2.0.40903?
v2.0.50215?
v2.0.50727?
....could not be located in the dynamic link library.....

why Microsoft always expects the sql community to wipe its tail after
the supposed 'official' release? dont' they know what QA testing is? or
they are just too cheap to pay professional software testers and ask us
to be their free bug testers and charge us thru the nose later? what a
brilliant business model.

How come Oracle's free download can work perfectly the first time? even
for people like me who never used oracle before? and I'm a MCDBA

http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/products/database/xe/index.html

There is a utility that comes on the later Beta CD's that will clean up the
Beta files for you if you get in to a jam.  As for Oracle always working the
first time I can attest that it is not always the case.  I have had numerous
problems in the past but I haven't tried it lately.

Show quoteHide quote

I'm not sure if you were referring to the Windows Installer CleanUp
Utility at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301
(since I downloaded the beta at MS site, not from a CD)
IF yes, I've tried that, and it didn't fix anything. also, it didn't
remove the programs such as sql 2005 beta from the Control
Panel|Add/Remove program menu either.

I've seen many of your postings before and respect your contribution to
this newsgroup and have no intention to get into any debate about
oralce vs sql with you here. It really won't help me fixing my problems
at hand or change the fact of the lack of support from Microsoft for
implementing SQL 2005 so far. Things I said about Oracle is matter of
my personal experience, I can't speak for others. If you've got great
ideas might help to solve my problem, I'm all ears, and thanks in
advance.

http://geekswithblogs.net/mrnat/archive/2004/10/17/12760.aspx

Hi Steve,

To move from SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 to the final release, you'll need to
remove all previous SQL components BEFORE removing the .NET Framework 2.0.
As you've already experienced, this can be a real pain in the rear. In order
to uninstall we require .NET Framework 2.0.

WHICH VERSION OF .NET?

The version that was installed by Beta 2. Uh... what version was that? I
*think* that was 2.00.50215 (which was the Beta 1 of the 2.0 framework). If
you have the SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 download still, you can re-install the
..NET Framework that was included with the download.

I will be the first to agree that this has been quite a mess, and I'll do
what ever I can to help you, and all those that are having problems with
this issue. If you can install the old .NET Framework 2.0, you should be
able to uninstall SQL Server 2005 Beta 2. If not, drop me a line, or post
another message to the newsgroup.


Show quoteHide quote

Steve,

Sorry I wasn't trying to start a debate either.  The tool has always worked
for this situation before for the people I have seen in this situation but
apparently it doesn't work in all situations.  I agree with Jeff's approach
as well.  In the past (before the tool) I attempted to uninstall the beta in
the wrong order and had to actually reinstall some components before I could
uninstall.  None of us like this aspect of it but it is a part of Beta that
we must accept may occur.  There is also a section in the readme that tells
of the right order to uninstall. I know since I found that after I did it
wrong<g>.


Show quoteHide quote

=== Steve L === (steve.***@powells.com) writes:
Show quoteHide quotePermit me to point out that the SQL Server 2005 beta was a very complex
thing, as it went in parallel with Visual Studio 2005 and .Net Framework 2.0
that also were in beta. And, of which the various beta versions were not
compatible with each other. Which is perfectly to be expected of a beta
release.

Yes, if you carelessly slapped a beta version of SQL 2005 on your
main machine, and then threw away the installation CD, and on top of
that uninstalled .Net Fx before anything else, you have gotten yourself
into a mess.

I'm not really sure that Microsoft are to blame for this, though.

I'll take Jeff's suggestions to see if I can locate and re-install
the beta version of SQL 2005 Express, and hopefully it will install the
particular version .NET frame work and let me uninstall all the beta(s)
before I install the 'final' release. I did vaguely remember
reading something about the particular order to uninstall beta over 6
months ago. I think with the excitement of final release, one could
have easily overlooked those small details of exact order to uninstall
any beta from many months ago. Whether Microsoft should take the blame
is debatable. From the software development perspective, I'm the
user, and users make mistakes! Good software development should
anticipate user's mistakes and make sure the software is robust to
handle them, instead of accusing users are not using the software
correctly. The fact is I have spent a week to install this high
anticipated official release and still don't know if I can make it
work, from a customer service or public relation perspective; does that
make a strong first impression for this product?

I take responsibilities of not uninstalling the beta(s) in the specific
order, I goofed and I sincerely hope other people won't make the same
mistake I did. I can only hope Microsoft can acknowledge that this
process can be improved and offer me a fix. It would be more
constructive and productive than pointing fingers at each other,
don't you think?

I appreciate all the resposnes I've got so far, but just to clarify, I
do not 'carelessly' slap anything on my main machine. This is all done
on spare test server and test workstation. The 'carelessly' conclusion
was hastily drawn.

=== Steve L === (steve.***@powells.com) writes:
Yes, this is what you expect from released and official software. It
would be severly scandalous if the upgrade path from SQL 2000 to SQL 2005
had required a very rigid uninstall order of SQL 2000.

But beta software is different. For two reasons: 1) Beta sofrware has
more bugs, that's why it's called a beta. 2) Beta software is evolving,
and different beta releases are not always compatible with each other.

Of course, had Microsoft frozen all internal interfaces one year ago,
a lot fewer people who had suffered from these problems. But that would
also have meant lesser features in the product (particularly in .Net
Fx and the CLR which are the two most crticial components), and lesser
perfect features.

So, OK, Microsoft could have put more effort in making setups that can
gracefully handle all sorts of beta products, but again some big BUT
appears:
1) that would have taken resources that would have led to an even
   later release, or more features being cut.
2) it would make the Setup more complex - and thuse more prone to errors -
   to the disadvantage of many, and to the benefit of a small minority.

Try installing it on a clean machine, that usually works.

I've been with the beta programme all the way since Beta 1, I've done
most of my testing on a virtual machine, and I've installed a new
machine for each new drop. (From a canned machine with a standard
initial configuration.) But I also have a non-virtual partition on
this machine, that have seen about all versions of VS 2005 and SQL 2005
from Beta 2 of SQL 2005 up to the Sept CTP. So I know it is possible.
But beta programmes does require more effort from its participants,
that released software.

I finally got it working and will share my notes here.

My workstation is window2000 pro. You need sp1 for the OS and the
correct version of .NET framework. v2.0.50727

If you didn't uninstall the previous sql 2005 beta in exact order
like I did, you can try
Windows Installer CleanUp Utility at
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301
to remove any unwanted beta. Although the utility didn't remove
everything, you'll still see beta in add/remove program list and
different framework version under C:\WINNT\Microsoft.NET\framework. I
modified the registry to remove beta listing from the add/remove
program. I used the installation log located at C:\Program
Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Files to identify the
incorrect .NET framework version. That should take care of the
....incompatible beta components...error.

for ...could not be located in the dynamic link library.....error, I
renamed the C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90 to C:\Program
Files\Microsoft SQL Server\x_90 and the rest of installation process
went smoothly for the client tools. I deleted many entries in registry
but now I don't think it's necessary.

good luck to all.

Steve Lin
MCDBA

yeahh!!   thx 2 Steve, I solved it!

  i had d same problem about uninstalling sql server'05 rci (release
candidate) & that's how i got 2 this page, but d Win Install CleanUp
really cleaned it up!

  bcoz there's no uninstall option on d sql serv.'05 "intro",  & i
forgot 2 check in d "unofficial"  'Setup Tools' folder on d CD (where
bravely lies d all-beta-uninstaller, but i just don't know why MS
didn't put it "public"), I removed d sql'05 components manually, 1by1,
from d 'add/remove..' & even cleaned up manually d folders left on my
hdd.
  after when i tried to install d sql'05 final release, it made me d
same problem of" some previous beta components should be removed...". i
searched through d registry & found many "sql server 9.0 .."lines which
were obviously left by my '05 rci, but didn't have d patience (& also d
courage:) 2 remove them by hand.
  & there came d Win Install CleanUp.  thx Steve, thx uninstallically!
;)

Aleks V.

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