How to make Visual Studio 2005 automatically install SQL Server Express 2005 SP2

As standard, the Visual Studio 2005 setup installs the original SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. In most environments this is highly undesirable – particularly as Vista has “app compatability” issues with the original SQL Express 2005.

If you want to get the Visual Studio setup to install SQL Server 2005 Express Edition SP2 instead, check out these great instructions by Aaron Stebner.

Here’s what I did for reference:

1. Went to the SQL Express 2005 SP2 download page.
2. Downloaded both packages.
3. Navigated to the Visual Studio install share and located the SQL Express installers (\wcu\SSE).
4. Renamed the existing installers to *.old
5. Copied the new installers to the same directory.
6. All done 🙂