asked
Cannot Add Replication to SQL 2005 Express
I have a SQL 2005 Express Edition system on which I applied SP2. Now, I have been asked to add the replication feature that was earlier not installed. I have tried using 1. Control Panel/Add Remove Programs/Microsoft SQL Server/Change ... Provided the path to sqlrun_sql.msi file. Selected Replication and completed the instalaton but it doesnt work. 2. Ran the original installation file but it did not allow to install replication. Is there any other step that I can try to install replication without Uninstalling/reinstalling the whole thing ?
If you have applied SP2, then you need to install the feature from installation media with the same SP. If the original installation media are without SP, you cannot add the feature to installation with SP applied. So there are 2 options: 1. Use installation media with the same SP applied 2. Remove the SP from the installation to which you need add feature, Install the feature from original media and the apply the SP again.
SQL Server Express cannot act as a replication publisher or distributor. In addition to that, you can only create subscriptions using TSQL or RMO programming. There is no separate replication components installation for sql server express and there is no UI from which you can manage replication. [
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165686.aspx][1] [1]:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165686.aspx
@KenJ, this is true, that SQL Server Express can act only as replication subscriber. However to enable this feature, you need to install it and select appropriate checkbox during installation. If you didn't checked it, you need to install this feature later. Unfortunatelly if you applied SP and have installation files without SP, you will not be able to install this feature. The installation files must be the same SP version as the SP of the instance to which you would like to add new features.
I found that you cannot uninstall SP4 without reinstalling SQL and re-patching. Service pack un-installation was introduced with SQL 2008 SP1. So you don't have the uninstall option for SQL 2005 SP4 (or before that). The only option is to reinstall SQL and restore the systen DBs from the pre-upgrade build. :-(
Or try to find installation files patched with SP2.. I'm not sure, but probably there is some way how to patch the installation files itself.
