I installed SQL Server 2005 first. I did a cusotm install on VS2005 and the setup said it "failed" to install SQL Server Express with an error, but everything else was installed just fine.

I also have the "Force Encryption" option for the SQL Server 2005 Network Connections set to "No".<BR><BR>This is as default an install on Windows XP Professional as possible.

Click the "Download" button to download the entire Feature Pack, or scroll to the bottom half of the page and locate the "Microsoft SQL Server OLE DB Provider" links.

Microsoft released Service Pack 2 (SP2) for SQL Server 2005 on Tuesday, a free upgrade available for download, in addition to new virtualization licensing for the database.

More notes from the field on installing the new version of SQL Sever.

Arthur Fuller recounts his less-than-smooth installation of SQL Server 2005 Express Edition and offers a few suggestions based on what he learned along the way.

Microsoft has released a second free service pack -- a large, recommended update -- for its popular SQL Server 2005 database application. The update makes SQL Server 2005 compatible with Microsoft ...

In December 2005 Microsoft began offering Virtual Server 2005 for $199 Enterprise Edition and $99 Standard Edition. As of today, Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition is free to download here.