Microsoft KB Archive/282017

= PRB: SQL Server 2000 Help File Contains Confusing Information About the Desktop Engine Setup =

Article ID: 282017

Article Last Modified on 7/26/2001

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (Windows)

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This article was previously published under Q282017



SYMPTOMS
The SQL Server 2000 Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) Books Online refers to an .ini file that you can use to specify properties to customize the installation of the SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine. However, the .ini file does not seem to work with the SQL Server 2000 MSDE merge modules when you use them in a custom setup program.



CAUSE
If you are using the SQL Server 2000 MSDE merge modules in a custom setup to distribute SQL Server 2000 MSDE, the reference to the .ini file is incorrect because the Microsoft Windows Installer does not natively support such a method for specifying properties.



WORKAROUND
The use of an .ini file to specify properties to customize the installation of the SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine is restricted to those who use the Setup.exe file included with the SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine. Windows Installer does not provide the option to specify these settings in an .ini file. The Microsoft Knowledge Base article in the &quot;References&quot; section outlines a method that you can use to specify the custom properties for the SQL Server 2000 MSDE merge modules.

The SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine setup program that supplies the Setup.exe file, also includes special code for reading and parsing the .ini file described in the SQL Server 2000 MSDE Books Online Help file. Note that if the .ini file is used to specify the specific parameters, then you should not pass the parameters on the command-line of Setup.exe. A sample .ini file for specifying these parameters follows. Please note that the specified directories must end with a backslash: [Options] TARGETDIR=&quot;C:\Program Files\SQL2000\&quot; DATADIR=&quot;C:\Program Files\SQL2000\&quot; INSTANCENAME=MyInstance You can also specify Windows Installer properties such as REINSTALL and REINSTALLMODE through the .ini file when you use the Setup.exe file to install SQL Server 2000 MSDE. The complete list of Desktop Engine-specific options that can be specified in the .ini file follows:


 * CALLBACK
 * COLLATION
 * DATADIR
 * TARGETDIR
 * INSTANCENAME
 * SECURITYMODE
 * UPGRADE
 * UPGRADEUSER