Where, during installation can you specify where SQL Server 2005 is installed if you don't want the default location?

  • I am installing SQL S2005 on a virtual server and will need to rebuild our existing databases on this new server by doing a backup on the old and restore on the new. I ran into issues when I tried starting the SQL services on the new machine and it couldn't find the system database files because the old server had them on a drive location other than the default (C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data).

    I've searched around and everyone says you can specify where SQL is installed during installation, but I don't know where. I've been through the installation process several times, and no where was an option to change the default location. Please help!

    Thanks!!

  • You can set the default locations for data and backup files in setup.

    For the system files, the master location is passed as a parameter in the service applet (or the Configuration Manager). You can change that.

    The locations for the other system databases are in master.

  • Hi Steve,

    On the old server, the SQL installation (including data & log files) are in D:\SQLServer2005\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\...

    On the new server, the SQL installation was installed in the default of C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data...

    On the new installation, I changed the SQL Server parameters to:

    "-m;-dC:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\DATA\master.mdf;-eC:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\LOG\ERRORLOG;-lC:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\DATA\mastlog.ldf"

    to start the SQL Server service in single user mode, then ran the RESTORE DATABASE procedure. When I tried to restart the services, I got the error: "Could not open file D:\SQLServer2005\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\DATA\mssqlsystemresource.mdf for file number 1."

    Where did I go wrong? Should I have changed the SQL Server service parameters to the D:\ locations to match the old server? Or do I need to install SQL Server on the new server in the same location as the old server? Or?

    Thank you so much for your help!

  • Nevermind - I think I found my answer! The installation path option is in the Feature Selection page.

    Thank you for your time.

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