Can't install SQL Server 2008 R2 management tool (complete)

Question

I have SQL Server 2008 R2 Express installed on my workstation. I’m in the process of learning Entity Framework, and wanted to use the Management Studio Profiler to help unde

Answer 1

To solve the problem I uninstalled SQL express and the Basic version of Server Management Studio.

Uninstalling SQL Express is not intuitive as it does not appear as a separate item in the “Programs and Features” window.

To uninstall it, I right-clicked on “Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)” and selected Uninstall/Change”. This opened a dialog, from which I selected ‘Remove’. I navigated though the process until I arrived at a screen which allowed me to elect to remove the Express version (all items with 'Express' in the name). I also elected to remove Management Studio Basic.

After SQL Server Express and Management Studio Basic were uninstalled, I started the SQL Server 2008 R2 installer; this time I was able to select Management Studio Complete for installation.

The installation process executed normally; when it finished the Complete version of Management Studio was available and I was able to execute the Profiler.

Uninstalling SQL Server Express appears to have done no harm to my system; I was able to modify the Server Explorer data connection in VS2010 to connect to my database in the full version of SQL Explorer.

This process outlined above worked for me; YMMV.