SQLServer Express 2008 R2 bootstrapper package available

Question

I've blogged on how to create a bootstrapper package for SQLServer Express 2008 R2. This includes the links to the files you need, including the package.xml and product.xml files.

http://robindotnet.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/how-about-a-bootstrapper-package-for-sqlserver-express-2008-r2/

Many thanks to the SQLServer Express program manager, who put up with a lot of badgering from me.

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Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 1

WOW, good man!

 

Thanks for your thread to let us know this knowledge, it will be helpful to others.

 

Have a nice day!

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Mike [MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us
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Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help.

Answer 2

That seems can be done with BMG

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/aspnet/Add_Custom_Prerequisite.aspx

 

BMG supports to generate product.xml file for your bootstrapper. People do not need to install VS 2010 and able to make any MSI based package as prerequisite.

 

Sincerely,

lqian2

Previous MSFT

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Senior Technical Consultant. Helping Others, Grow Yourself!

Answer 3

Hi Myexp,

Thank you for your feedback. I do not agree that you can get the same results using the BMG that you can with the fully-featured bootstrapper package created from the blog entry, and would be very interested to see that proven. Can you please try that and let us know if it can, indeed, be done?

Please don't forget the features where the bootstrapper needs to figure out if the user has a 64-bit or 32-bit machine and installs the appropriate version, and does an almost silent install with all of the right command switches set.

RobinDotNet

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Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 4

I think the SqlExpressChk.exe is the key point. It can check the OS version (x86 or x64) and try to install the proper SqlExpress package. I guess SqlExpressChk.exe is just a PE file (not installer) written in C/C++ which will launch the correct msi package. If user uses BMG to make the bootstrapper, he can write a C/C++ app and let that app check OS version and launch the correct msi.

 

Look into the product.xml file, you can find this.

<PackageFiles>

    <PackageFile Name="SqlExpressChk.exe" />

  </PackageFiles>

 

When bootstrapper checks the system and find the prerequisite is missing, it launches the SqlExpressChk.exe instead of the exact SQLEXPR32_x86_ENU.EXE or SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.EXE.

 

Hope it helps!

 

Sincerely,

lqian2

Previous MSFT

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Senior Technical Consultant. Helping Others, Grow Yourself!

Answer 5

My Winforms application is distributed with a Package and Deployment Project.  How can I use this bootstrapper in a P&D project?

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bill

Answer 6

The blog post results in the prerequisite being available to Visual Studio, and I would think it would work for both an S&D project and a ClickOnce project.

My expertise is in ClickOnce, not S&D projects, but doesn't the S&D project have a place to specify prerequisites? And doesn't the prerequisite show up after following the directions on the blog?

RobinDotNet

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Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 7

I don't know for sure that the problem is that I'm petty much an amateur, but, here's the situation.

I downloaded the Product and Package files and using the 7Zip to unzip them, but they don't unzip, I get an error message "Cannot open the file as package. I can however open the files as text files.

Any suggestions as to how to proceed>

Milt

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sirmilt

Answer 8

After spending hours on this and following the guidelines exactly,...still no SQLR2

I guess, if no one can help, I have three alternatives

   Install SQL Server Express 2005 and redo the file with 5 tables and about 50 queries...

   Switch to Access  with the same number of tables and queries or

   Buy Visual Basic 2010

Does anyone have any suggestions?

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sirmilt

Answer 9

Robin,

Thanks for your tutorial, it's clear and could be helpful, unfortunately doesn't seems to work for me. I must say that I just migrate to Windows 8 and VS 2012, and when try to publish I still have these messages :

Error 3 To enable 'Download prerequisites from the same location as my application' in the Prerequisites dialog box, you must download file 'SqlExpress2008R2\SQLEXPR32_x86_ENU.EXE' for item 'SQL Server 2008 R2 Express' to your local machine. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=239883. MigrationTool

Error 4 To enable 'Download prerequisites from the same location as my application' in the Prerequisites dialog box, you must download file 'SqlExpress2008R2\SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.EXE' for item 'SQL Server 2008 R2 Express' to your local machine. For more information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=239883. MigrationTool

 Even if the 2 files are correctly copied in the package folder. Any idea why ?

Thanks in advance.

Rgds

Pascal.

Answer 10

me 2 i had downloaded the 2 files but still have error !!!