SQL Server 2005
 

I somehow wound up with this program on a new laptop using XP SP3. (No, I am not using Business Contact Manager.)

Can I safely uninstall it?

Any idea what it does?

Yes, I did go to microsoft.com but the home page for this product seems to require a masters degree.

SQL Server is a database server.

Some programs will install a light version of SQL Server to store their data. Be sure that none of your programs needs it.

(SQL = Structured Query Language)

I have not yet installed any part of Office 2007. (I have been uninstalling craplets like BCM.)

Would you give me some examples of programs that use SQL Server? I am assuming that IE7 is not one of them.

Thank you for your help.

Some industrial HMI software packages like Wonderware Intouch use SQL Server, and will include it with their software.

There are tons of programs out there that use it. Anything that collects data, monitors a system or even a backup application could be using it. Microsoft gives it away for free to developers to use in an embedded mode, which is what you're seeing, and free makes it somewhat likable.

Before uninstalling it - which will almost certainly break something on your computer - try going into the Services MMC (Start | Run | Services.msc) and stopping the service (MSSQLSERVER). If you're lucky it might say MSSQLSERVER$SomethingElse and the "SomethingElse" part will be a hint to the program that is using it. By stopping the service you are essentially breaking the system the same way as you would be if you uninstall it, but with the ability to fix the system by simply rebooting your machine and letting SQL start up normally.

s.

Is that the same thing as going to Run>MSCONFIG and then the Services tab?

If so, I already tried that and I can report to you what happened.

In the meantime, would you agree with my guess that SQL wound up on my computer because Business Contact Manager (who uses this?) was pre-installed?

Corrected, look at next post.

If this is a brand new laptop like a Thinkpad, then yes BCM is the likely source. As noted SQL can be installed by other apps usually a financial\salesforce package.

So if this is new laptop sometimes it's just easier to run your recovery software and restore it to "Factory Default/etc..etc". Usually the main image doesn't have all the "added" ware or an option to restore with selecting apps.

Sortof.
That interface will tell you what is running but won't allow you to stop the service. It will allow you to disable the service, but that doesn't take effect until you reboot.


BCM does install the SQL engine as part of its install, so that it most likely the source of that SQL instance on your computer.

SQL Server is uninstalled with (apparently and hopefully) no ill effects.

It is a short trip to Microsoft.com if you end up needing it again...

It isn't quite that simple.

The SQL instance that is installed as part of BCM has things like the database definition and content loaded in it. It would require a repair of the program from the add/remove programs menu at a minimum, and BCM might be more complicated.

Microsoft money may use it too. It's very likely sqlServer lite version. Not sure, but some versions of MS Access and Excel may share some programs with it.

Neither Access nor Excel use SQL. Both can connect to a SQL database and query/display data from it, but neither will install the runtime version that the OP had running.

That's okay. I don't know what BCM is or even anyone who uses it so I doubt that I'll be installing it, just the "regular" version of Outlook 2007.