[Dr Ben]

Hi, I've got SQL Server 2008 on my laptop computer (an Acer Aspire 5735 running with Windows Vista), and I need to configure SQL Server to allow "remote access". So I tried installing SQL Server Management Studio 2008, but I can't seem to install it. It's hard for me to explain why I can't install, and it much easier to say, when looking at this video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7whqA-VZaYc (a video of how to install sql server management studio 2008).

I copied every on the video that the guy does, and the part that I get stuck on, is at the point of 2:40 in the video, the guy presses install, so I press install too, then on the video, the window disappears at about 2:50, and a small window then displays "Please wait while SQL Server 2008 Setup processes the current operation.". Now on the video, after this small window pops up, the setup window pops up again, and the guy carries on. For me after the window displaying "Please wait while SQL Server 2008 setup processes the current operation" pops up, it then disappears again, and then that's it, it appears to have finished, unlike in the video, the Setup window does not pop up again, and nothing else happens.

Also I don't understand SQL Server much at all, so I might find it hard to understand technical details relating to sql server :/

I've been trying to sort this out for a while, and it's important for my university coursework that I get this installed ASAP, can anyone give me any help?

[mfaxford]

Do you have a version of SQL server that allows remote access. I believe all the versions that allow remote access are licensed versions that cost most. I'm not sure the free option you get SQL Express (i think) does remote connections.

Also do you really need to open it up to remote access and how much remote access do you need. I only ask because there have been a number of attacks against SQL server so randomly opening it up could be quite risky to your machine. I'd only ever consider doing that on a proper server where the implications are fully understood.

[maturestudy]

Is it SQL Server Express? That doesn't listen for network connections by default. To enable you open SQL Server Configuration Manager, click on Protocols for (instance name). Right click on "TCP/IP" in the list of Protocols and choose, "Enable". Then restart the instance.

See: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../ms191294.aspx