Installing Visual Studio 2008 & MSSQL Server 2005

You need to run the installer files to Install VS2008 and SQL 2005. You can install anyone first. They are independent.

okay

This will help when installing the SQL Management Studio. The procedure is not obvious.

Hi,
I always install SQL first. I do this because in the past I got caught out by installing VS first then trying to install SQL server and Management Studio and I couldn't...
I think it may have been on VS 2005 but it could have been 2008.

Anyway it had SQL plugins included with it for SQL CE but they were SQL Service Pack 2 and although it let me install actual SQL it gave me error messages because there was a newer version of SQL installed and Management Studio would not launch.

I thought if I uninstalled VS then tried installing SQL first but it had left the SQL plugins behind - I ended up spending an afternoon going through registry entries trying to nuke them out of it so I could install SQL Server... so now I always put SQL on first.

Unless you have an absolute need to be using SQL Server 2005, I would recommend against installing it and go directly for SQL Server 2008.

You will need to get the VS2008 updates to work with it, but it is nice to work with the new SQL version. Plan on a long update process for the VS2008 installation; their have been many over the years.

Why stop at SQL 2008? We have clients with SQL 2012...

Why stop at SQL 2008? We have clients with SQL 2012...

I guess no reason other than I believe that you would need to connect via the SQL Server Native Client OLE DB provider with your DataSource objects.

I would agree with installing SQL Server 2008, but you will need VS2008 SP1, which includes the support for SQL Server 2008. (Last year I went through the headache of sorting out upgrading through VS2005 - VS2008 - VS2010 and SS2005 - SS2008 - SS2008R2 - SS2012.)

Note: Read the Release Notes for both products before you install anything.
VS2008- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945140
SQL2008- http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=120220

SQL Server 2008 SP3 Express Edition
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=27597
This download is indicated for SS2008EE and SS2008EE w/ Adv Svcs.

If you installed other SQL components, you may need to install SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3 (SP3) anyway.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2546951
How to determine the version and edition of SQL Server and its components
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321185

Suggestion: If you install SQL Server 2008 Express Edition with Advanced Services, it includes the management tools. However, be aware that the Management Tools installs the Visual Studio Shell, a limited version of VS. This can lead to install errors with VS, as you would need to update the VS Shell prior to installing Visual Studio, and it can cause problems with BIDS, SSIS (and maybe SSRS).
[Note: This was an issue with the initial release of SS2008, but may be resolved with the Service Packs. Please correct me if this process works differently now with Service Pack releases of VS2008 and SQL Server.]
The workaround? Use one of the following methods to install:
1) Install SS2008 (with no tools), install VS2008, then SP1 for VS2008, and finally upgrade SS2008 by installing SS2008 Express with Advanced Services (SQLEXPRADV).
2) Install VS2008 as custom install unchecking option to install SQL Server, install SP1 for VS2008, and install SS2008.
These steps are outlined and debated in the following collection of articles and blog posts. Have a look at them and make your own comments about what worked for you.
...
When you install VS 2008, you will need to uncheck the option to install SQL Server.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2473359/visual-studio-and-sql-server-correct-installation-sequence?rq=1

Also, I believe the instance had to be named SQLEXPRESS (default instance), or else you would have to go into VS2008 settings and change it to point to your named instance.

Article: Actions that are required before you install SQL Server 2008 on a computer that has Visual Studio 2008
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956139

Read this article if you are already in a mess because you installed VS2008 RTM (no SP1):
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/psssql/archive/2008/08/11/sql-server-2008-visual-studio-2008-sp1-and-net-framework-3-5-sp1-explained.aspx

Here is one article about the VS2005-2008 and SS2005-2008 versions and updates:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc440724(v=vs.90).aspx#SQL_Serve_08_VS_05_08_top_3

Article that speaks to the issues with installing SSMS on the VS2008 version of SQL Server Express:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb500441(v=sql.100).aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/guil/archive/2008/12/14/sql-server-2008-installation-dependency-problems-with-visual-studio-2008-sp1.aspx
http://weblogs.asp.net/toddanglin/archive/2009/07/08/another-solution-for-defeating-the-sql-server-2008-installer-with-visual-studio-2008.aspx

SQL install fails because VS2008 looks at wrong regkey
http://www.brianpeek.com/post/sql-server-2008-visual-studio-sp1-and-visual-studio-express

@Jeffreyk16 Thanks man i always have an issue installing them

@kenomote You are welcome. This week I'm installing VS 2010 SP1 and SQL Server 2008 R2 Express with Advanced Services on a Window 7 SP1 desktop PC. Nowhere near as bad as the VS 2008 install, but still takes a few days.

There are two things I would recommend for more assistance.

1) Do a Web search on "setting up a development environment for Visual Studio 2008"
You can add other search terms for additional tools. Good resources on msdn.microsoft.com and stackoverflow.com.

2) Read the article Setting Up Development Environments for the 2007 Microsoft Office System
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/architecture/bb330848.aspx
Read through this article, then skip the part Installing Visual Studio 2005. The note in that section says you can use VS 2008 instructions instead (skip to Installing Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition section.)

I really like how they laid out the steps to setup the environment, including all the other downloads you need, and also what order to install them in. Wish they did this for all there Visual Studio products. Maybe we can start a Wiki with the steps written up for setting up a development machine for each environment, VS 2008 and VS 2010.