This should not require a blog post! That being said, I struggled on and off for several days before I hit the right sequence of steps to install the SSMS package onto my existing instance of SQL Server 2008 Express.
When I initially installed SQL Server 2008 I downloaded the version that said it was “with tools”, assuming that meant I would get the light version of the Management Studio along with the instance. Okay, I know what assume means. And as usual, it did not work as it should have. I ended up with a bare bones Express instance.
So, how hard can it be to add the management studio to an existing instance I say? Ridiculously non-intuitive as it turns out. I did not want to do an uninstall and reinstall cycle since I now had SharePoint 2007 up and running with all of its database connectivity working.
Fired up the installer, navigated to the point where you choose to either install a new instance, or add features to an existing instance. Now being your typical geek I thought, well since I have an instance already, and I just want to add the Management Studio the obvious choice here would be to select add to existing instance!
HAH! That’s what I thought, after hours trying with every available download version of the Express installer, I gave up. Figured I would have to eventually bite the bullet and uninstall and reinstall.
Then I decided to go ahead and do what I figured would be a side by side install of two instances, just to get the tools. Figured I could always come back and disable the second instance etc.
So I downloaded the SQL Server 2008 Management Studio Express from Microsoft one last time. Fired up the installer, selected New Instance, rather than add to existing instance, and lo and behold, it would not let me install a new instance, but it did finally let me install the Management Studio!
I am sure to someone at Microsoft this makes perfect sense, I am equally sure they imbibe mind altering substances on a regular basis in enormous quantities! Whatever the case, at least I know have the Management Studio configured and running!