Error while installing SQL Server 2005 – Native Client cannot be found August 26, 2008
Posted by reddogaw in SQL Server.Tags: Error, Installing SQL Server 2005, Native Client, sqlncli.msi
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Recently while installing SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition on a “fresh” server I found that crazy thing just wouldn’t install!
I was getting the following error:
“An installation package for the product Microsoft SQL Server Native Client cannot be found. Try the installation again using a valid copy of the installation package ‘sqlncli.msi’”
Most cryptic… Considering my installation package is the disc given to me by Microsoft and I’m positive that the sqlncli.msi file is right there.
However, the actual issue appears to be as simple as an inability to upgrade an old Native Client edition. (Thanks to Jose for pointing it out). To resolve, use the Add / Remove Programs panel to uninstall an existing SQL Server Native Client installation and you should be good to roll.
Note that this appears to be common for other editions of SQL Server 2005 too.
Wow – thank you so much for this tip!
It was doing my head in.
YEAH!!!! awesome thanks!!
wow
It works for me as well
OMG! Thanks for this tip. I had 2 days to complete a software upgrade and running on fumes..
Thank you.. it worked.
worked for me…
Thanks you… its very helpful
Awesome. Thanks this saved me much headache.
Thank you so much…I had the sme problem…it work
I just can’t find enough words to thank you. My life was becoming a nightmare. Thanks one million.
thanks a million for the tip.
thanks….simple as that…
Thanks, was a big headache…
After 3 different install disks, and tearing my remaining hair, this seems to have done the trick. What a *terrible* error message. Thanks!
(speaking of bad usability – your comment form doesn’t tell you which are the required fields until you try to submit)
OMG thank you very much!
Thanks man… this really helped me out!
Thank you so much – simple solution to a major pain.
OMG! I Offically love you, I have finally managed to install this damn SQL Server!!!! THANK YOU!
thanks!
This helped me. thanks
Thank U!!! It worked!!!
Whoo Hoo, I can now take the handgun out of my mouth (I was so frustrated) I finally got SQL loaded. Thanks for the info. Your a lifesaver.
Thanks this really does the trick
This solved my problem, thanks very much.
Ahhh thank you. This did the trick.
you are MOST AWESOME!
Thank you!! Just had to do this for a cluster installation.
Sad that Microsoft can’t fix this problem, years later.
thanks
Fantastic. I would have been dead if it had not worked.
thank you so much..
OMG!!! YES!! Doing this just for the SQL Tools on a workstation and it keep saying I had a higher version of the client and it would not install. This is a new laptop that never had any tools installed. Removed the client and installed from the disk and it is there. Thank you.
Worked!
Dhan Nirankar Ji!!!
thank u so much…..it really works!!!!!!!
Thanks a Ton!!!
viju
thnxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you for sharing this, really did prove vaulable as i had spent an hour investgating to no avail.
Your solution did the trick
many thanks
THXXXXX Very much its work
I was installing SQl Express 2005 on Windows 7 and always got the same error. This tip really helped me a lot
Ya,
Thanks Guys, Awesome little tip… Just didnt take 3 days to figure out i can search for a error on Google…
it worked thank you
!
AWESOME! It worked. Thanks so very much.
Great, its work, Thanks for the tips
Worked…you’d think after 2 years their error message would be more clear…something along the lines of “Your current installation of the native client cant be upgraded because we’re too lazy to fix it so uninstall and try again. Thank you.”