Reinstalling MSSQL 6.5 -- can it be done?

Josh Hillman ( (no email) )
Wed, 12 Aug 1998 17:42:06 -0400

Today I installed MSSQL on one of our servers and something apparently
didn't go right with security because SQL could never read anything from
the security area, so I had no way of logging into it with the sa
username/password (eventhough the services started fine while using the
same username/password combo) or creating users in it, eventhough from what
I could tell, all settings were the same as those on another SQL server we
have.
So, after getting frustrated with it, I reran MSSQL 6.5 setup and chose to
"Remove SQL Server". When the next window came up, I checked the box that
said "Remove files from: ..." and clicked on Resume (theoretically
uninstalling SQL Server and wiping out any databases created by it). Well,
when I went to reinstall MSSQL Server from the CD (tried this also after
rebooting the server), the option to "Install SQL Server and Utilities" as
well as "Install Utilities Only" are grayed out. I have no way of
reinstalling SQL Server! I tried to "remove SLQ Server" again, but that
didn't help; I tried to "Upgrade SQL Server" (which is what option it
defaults to now), but that doesn't get me anywhere, because it needs the
Master db to upgrade (which doesn't exist).

Each time I run the setup, it says "The Setup program has detected that SQL
Server has already been installed by: (my name, company, AND Product ID
Number)". I've looked in the registry and wiped out virtually everything I
could find related to MSSQLServer, though I never did find the PID number
in there.

All I want to do is reinstall SQL Server. I don't need to restore any
databases or anything. I've also been sifting through MS' Knowledge Base
and haven't found any info. Does anyone know a way around this setup
problem??

Thanks,

Josh Hillman
hillman@talstar.com