Hi Guys, I have been reading some posts about how a client OS, i.e, Vista, does not support SQL Server 2005 Enterprise edition. I am wondering if I can load Windows Server 2003 or greater onto my personal computer and then load SQL Server 2005 Enterprise? I know I could use the Developer edition, but I really want to learn as much as possible about SQL Server 2005 Ent. Also, if I load Windows Server 2003 or > onto my personal computer, will I be able to alternate between Vista and Windows Server 2003 or >?

The Evaluation Edition is an Eval of SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition. When you install Enterprise Edition on a client OS (ie. Windows XP) you will not be able to install the Server components.

Basically, am I going to significantly hinder the performance of my computer if I install both Windows Server 2003 or >, or should I buy another cheap PC and load the Windows Server 2003 or > on the cheap PC to act as the server and physcially connect my personal computer to the 'server'? The reason why I want to do all of this is because I am looking to develop a message board on the web to learn. I have Visual Studio 2008 Professional and I want to use SQL Server 2005 Enterprise as the back-end. I also plan on learning enough Enterprise so I can eventually get a developer job using VS 2008, SS 2005 Enterprise. Thank you for any information provided. Hello Ease, Please refer the.

Yes you cannot install Sql 2005 Enterprise edition in Vista or XP you need to have a server OS like Windows 2000 server with SP4 or Windows 2003 server with SP1 etc. You can still install Sql 2005 Enterprise Evaluation edition which is free but will expire after 180 days in Vista or XP.

It has the same features as Sql 2005 enterprise edition. You can download it from. You can also have Vista as your OS and install Virtual PC with Windows 2003 SP1 and install Sql 2005 enterprise edition in it and work.

Hello Ease, Please refer the. Platinum erwin erx 35 download. Yes you cannot install Sql 2005 Enterprise edition in Vista or XP you need to have a server OS like Windows 2000 server with SP4 or Windows 2003 server with SP1 etc.

You can still install Sql 2005 Enterprise Evaluation edition which is free but will expire after 180 days in Vista or XP. It has the same features as Sql 2005 enterprise edition. You can download it from. You can also have Vista as your OS and install Virtual PC with Windows 2003 SP1 and install Sql 2005 enterprise edition in it and work. The only difference between Enterprise and Developer are licencing based, so you'll have no noticeable difference.

I would recommend Developer in this case - I have it running on my Vista laptop. If you are interested in playing with different versions, Deepak's idea of using Virtual PC 2007 (free download) is a good one - if you want to be truely cutting edge you can install SQL Server 2008 RC0 and an evaluation of Window Server 2008. This method is good as you have a 'play' environment that doesn't affect your Vista installation, but it does require your machine to have a decent amount of RAM (at least 2 GB), and you'll need to set aside at least 15 GB of disk space for the virtual machine.

Just to follow up on Jim's post -- I've always gotten better performance using Virtual Server over Virtual PC. Virtual Server 2005 R2 is a free download as well: The virtual machines runs as processes in the background and seem to take up much less of a memory footprint than Virtual PC 2007. Just some food for thought. Either way, virtualization, as Jim noted, is a good way to separate anything you want to try from your core machine. Occasionally Microsoft posts some virtual machines out as samples -- here is one example: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=3c113d55-af83-4abf-a1ba-0e44b7cfc318&DisplayLang=en.

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with Advanced Services (SQL Server Express) is a free, easy-to-use version of SQL Server Express that includes a graphical management tool and powerful features for reporting and advanced text-based searches. SQL Server Express provides powerful and reliable data management tools and rich features, data protection, and fast performance. It is ideal for embedded application clients, light Web applications, and local data stores. SQL Server Express with Advanced Services has all of the features in SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, plus you can: • Easily manage and administer SQL Server Express with an easy-to-use graphical management tool -- SQL Server 2005 Management Studio Express (SSMSE). • Issue full-text queries against plain character-based data in SQL Server tables. Full-text queries can include words and phrases, or multiple forms of a word or phrase. • Run SQL Server Reporting Services reports on local relational data.

Free to download, free to deploy, and free to redistribute as an embedded part of an application, SQL Server Express with Advanced Services is the fast and easy way to develop and manage data-driven applications with powerful built-in reporting and full-text search functionality. For more information about SQL Server Express, including other editions and downloadable components now available, see the. For a list of new features and improvements that are included in SQL Server 2005 SP2, review the. Supported Operating System Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, Windows Vista, Windows XP Service Pack 2 • • Computer with Intel or compatible Pentium III 500 MHz or faster processor (1 GHz or faster is recommended.) • Minimum of 512 MB of RAM (1 GB or more is recommended.) • 600 MB of available hard disk space Note: SQL Server Express with Advanced Services requires IIS 5.0 or later to run Reporting Services. Note: There is no support in this release for Windows XP Embedded Edition. • Note: You must have administrative rights on the computer to install SQL Server Express.