Need help uninstalling an instance

  • In Computer Management, this is what I see under Services and Applications/SQL Server Configuration Manager/SQL Server 2005 Services:

    SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS)

    SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER)

    How can I uninstall only the instance SQLEXPRESS ?

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  • when you run the uninstaller go to database engine it will ask you which one to uninstall

  • Thank you for your response.

    *gulp*

    Running Setup gets me an error message 'unexpected failure...'

    Feeling a little screwed here since I can't seem to install or uninstall ANY SQL Server elements even when running Setup from CD.

    First step is to clean off SQL Server from this machine, right? THAT ought to get rid of my unwanted instance, and so much more...

    Could you direct me on how I might get started?

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  • Use Add/Remove to remove a single instance. Instead of selecting to remove, select to change and you will be given the option to uninstall components.

    Jeffrey Williams
    “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

    ― Charles R. Swindoll

    How to post questions to get better answers faster
    Managing Transaction Logs

  • Jeffrey Williams (8/16/2008)


    Use Add/Remove to remove a single instance. Instead of selecting to remove, select to change and you will be given the option to uninstall components.

    Thank you, Jeffrey.

    I get the same error message whether I click either Change or Remove from Add/Remove Programs. I select the instance, click Next, then the error message appears.

    Any other suggestions?

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  • The error message refers me to the setup log to see what went wrong. The log is 73 lines long.

    If anyone can interpret it, here it is:

    Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Setup beginning at Sat Aug 16 19:59:51 2008

    Process ID : 2044

    C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\setup.exe Version: 2005.90.3042.0

    Running: LoadResourcesAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51

    Complete: LoadResourcesAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51, returned true

    Running: ParseBootstrapOptionsAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51

    Loaded DLL:C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\xmlrw.dll Version:2.0.3609.0

    Complete: ParseBootstrapOptionsAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51, returned false

    Error: Action "ParseBootstrapOptionsAction" failed during execution. Error information reported during run:

    Could not parse command line due to datastore exception.

    Source File Name: utillib\persisthelpers.cpp

    Compiler Timestamp: Wed Jun 14 16:30:14 2006

    Function Name: writeEncryptedString

    Source Line Number: 124

    ----------------------------------------------------------

    writeEncryptedString() failed

    Source File Name: utillib\persisthelpers.cpp

    Compiler Timestamp: Wed Jun 14 16:30:14 2006

    Function Name: writeEncryptedString

    Source Line Number: 123

    ----------------------------------------------------------

    Error Code: 0x80070002 (2)

    Windows Error Text: The system cannot find the file specified.

    Source File Name: cryptohelper\cryptsameusersamemachine.cpp

    Compiler Timestamp: Wed Jun 14 16:28:04 2006

    Function Name: sqls::CryptSameUserSameMachine::ProtectData

    Source Line Number: 50

    2

    Running: ValidateWinNTAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51

    Complete: ValidateWinNTAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51, returned true

    Running: ValidateMinOSAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51

    Complete: ValidateMinOSAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51, returned true

    Running: PerformSCCAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51

    Complete: PerformSCCAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51, returned true

    Running: ActivateLoggingAction at: 2008/7/16 19:59:51

    Error: Action "ActivateLoggingAction" threw an exception during execution. Error information reported during run:

    Datastore exception while trying to write logging properties.

    Source File Name: datastore\cachedpropertycollection.cpp

    Compiler Timestamp: Wed Jun 14 16:27:59 2006

    Function Name: CachedPropertyCollection::findProperty

    Source Line Number: 130

    ----------------------------------------------------------

    Failed to find property "primaryLogFiles" {"SetupStateScope", "", ""} in cache

    Source File Name: datastore\propertycollection.cpp

    Compiler Timestamp: Wed Jun 14 16:28:01 2006

    Function Name: SetupStateScope.primaryLogFiles

    Source Line Number: 44

    ----------------------------------------------------------

    No collector registered for scope: "SetupStateScope"

    00F1CFC0Unable to proceed with setup, there was a command line parsing error. : 2

    Error Code: 0x80070002 (2)

    Windows Error Text: The system cannot find the file specified.

    Source File Name: utillib\persisthelpers.cpp

    Compiler Timestamp: Wed Jun 14 16:30:14 2006

    Function Name: writeEncryptedString

    Source Line Number: 123

    Failed to create CAB file due to datastore exception

    Source File Name: datastore\cachedpropertycollection.cpp

    Compiler Timestamp: Wed Jun 14 16:27:59 2006

    Function Name: CachedPropertyCollection::findProperty

    Source Line Number: 130

    ----------------------------------------------------------

    Failed to find property "HostSetup" {"SetupBootstrapOptionsScope", "", "2044"} in cache

    Source File Name: datastore\propertycollection.cpp

    Compiler Timestamp: Wed Jun 14 16:28:01 2006

    Function Name: SetupBootstrapOptionsScope.HostSetup

    Source Line Number: 44

    ----------------------------------------------------------

    No collector registered for scope: "SetupBootstrapOptionsScope"

    Message pump returning: 2

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  • had any trouble when installing? can you post the error from the log file should be in a path like C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\

  • thasteve, please see log I just posted above.

    This installation was done months and months ago. Recently, I tried to install SQL Server 2005 SP2, which bombed when applying itself to the SQLEXPRESS instance. Automatic Updates keeps trying to install a SQL Server 2005 Security Update (KB????) which fails every time, referencing SQLEXPRESS as the instance it fails on.

    This is a DEV machine and I can still dev, but Setup crashes.

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  • (Bump)

    Please help...

    Does anyone know of a solution to my Setup issue?

    Should I clean SQL Server from this machine so I can do a clean re-install? If so, how do I get started?

    Thank you,

    Rick

    ~ Timing is everything

  • i found this on an other side see if that helps solving your problem

    After a good amount of delving with RegMon, I found out why it was not

    installing on my customer's build: there was a missing registry key.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User

    Shell Folders\AppData

    When a user is created on a system, the AppData key is copied from the

    ..Default area of the registry:

    HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User

    Shell Folders\AppData

    It seems the key had been messed up in my customer's build. Both should be a

    REG_EXPAND_SZ and both should be set to %USERPROFILE%\Application Data

    Note that if the key is missing on your system, you might have problems when

    you put it back in as many programs seem to failover to using the Local

    AppData key if it's missing. You might have to set the AppData key to

    %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data

  • SSC,

    The following keys exist in my registry. How would you interpret them?

    Rick

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User

    Shell Folders

    \AppData REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data

    HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User

    Shell Folders

    \AppData REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\Application Data

    \Local AppData REG_EXPAND_SZ %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data

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  • looks like they are right and not the root of the problem. When you uninstall and get the error doesn't it give you a link to an error log or something more detailed than what you have to descipe the error? There should allways be a new log file created when you run the setup program.

  • Yes, there's an error log produced. I posted it to this thread last night.

    The help link on the error message dialog reads like this, requesting a chance to send it back to Microsoft:

    LinkID20476

    Product NameMicrosoft SQL Server

    Product Version9.00.3042.00

    Message Sourcesetup.rll

    Message ID50000

    EvtTypeutillib\persisthelpers.cpp@ActivateLoggingAction@writeEncryptedString@0x2

    Also, the error message dialog has a Copy-to-Clipboard icon that yeilds this info:

    TITLE: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Setup

    ------------------------------

    There was an unexpected failure during the setup wizard. You may review the setup logs and/or click the help button for more information.

    For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkID=20476&ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&ProdVer=9.00.3042.00&EvtSrc=setup.rll&EvtID=50000&EvtType=utillib%5cpersisthelpers.cpp%40ActivateLoggingAction%40writeEncryptedString%400x2

    ------------------------------

    BUTTONS:

    OK

    ------------------------------

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  • you could try to create a new user and add him to the local administrators group, log in as the user and try to uninstall again

  • Brilliant! Thank you for your suggestion.

    My new admin user was able to remove the SQL Express instance.

    My existing user still get the error message I've described.

    I dread uninstalling SQL Server with the new user and finding I cannot reinstall it for some reason. It'd still be worth a try at some point, though. I need a clean installation so I can continue to receive security updates...not so important on this dev machine, but sound practice.

    For now, I can still dev, which is key.

    ~ Timing is everything

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