Manually removing sql server 2008

I am not able to remove sql server 2008 from my machine.

I installed it in the past as a part of the installation of an application, this installe开发者_高级运维d the runtime of sql server 2008 SP0. But now I cannot uninstall.

I tried to use the setup of SP0 and even of SP2 but it was not able to uninstall, by giving fatal errors when it does the preliminary checks.

This means that the only option I have is format my machine?

I cannot even intall a new instance, something is really corrupted.

Is it a way to remove it manually?

---

I fixed a similar issue by using Microsoft fixit tool http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall/

---

I tried to uninstall 3 times and the third time it was succesful, anyway I was not able to install due to fatal errors in the installer.

By trial and error I found that the problem was a list of non existing files in the following registry key (Windows Vista):

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SessionManager\PendingFileRenameOperations

So i simply deleted The key PendingFileRenameOperations and tried to install, it installed succesfully.

Anyway thinkinf of automatizing this is crazy, the best way to reinstall is to isntall on a new machine (I mean for customers).

---

This is part of my job which I've been doing for a few years now. I've probably uninstalled it about 200 / 300 times and find it difficult sometimes.

• What errors are you getting?

---

Have you manually deleted it from

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server

If you can, do so (or just rename) and then try to add-remove. You most likely won't be able to so the next course of action will be to manually strip it from the registry or use CC Cleaner to strip it out.

Let me know if that doesn't work and i'll offer another suggestion. I believe MS has a tool to force removing programs from the list if the MSI isn't available.

---

Good Luck it's not the nicest thing to do!