SQL Server 2008 Installation

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/Micros开发者_如何转开发oft 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?

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!

I think the error that you run into is just a case of bad choice of words from Microsoft. When they give the message: "select installation folder" they actually mean the drive that contains your Sql Server installation Dvd. I run into the same problem, and all I had to do was select the dvd drive and it worked.

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

While I don't think this has ever been a requirement, since it's not really clear from your question exactly which component is choking on the path, I suggest trying a simpler path with no spaces, e.g. "C:\MSSQL\" ...

I am agree with Durden81. It's actually the problem regarding the path. It wants you to choose the path where the sql server setup file lies. Give the correct path of the setup file, whether it is in DVD or in a drive.

Give the path of installer, this helped me. For example if you have the SQL server installer on C:\SQL SERVER\Enterprise Edition\setup.exe Provide the same path, this will solve the issue.

I got this error because the installation package was located on a network/virtual location. To resolve this, I found the correct path (by asking IT) and ran the .exe as administrator. All is good.

I received this error when clicking on the app in "Add/Remove Programs" to add features to the current install. Yes, you can proceed as @Marc Uberstein's answer, but re-running the ENU with a double click should get you where you need to go, without extracting, bypassing the "Add/Remove Programs" piece altogether. Not sure from your question if that is the route you took to arrive at the error, but this was the issue for me.

It depend on what error prompt you are getting. If it's saying "wrong folder" or something of that nature, then it's the folder that's causing the error. Just delete all the folders of sqlserver on your computer and restart and it should work, or you can go to property of that sqlserver folder and in advanced and un-check the compress and re-run. It should definitely work.