SQL Server 2008 Installation

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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?

windows-7 sql-server-2008 sql-server
9 Answers

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!

user_4503990

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
user_12774700
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