Problem Description

When you perform a Basic Installation of WSS 3.0, SharePoint won’t use SQL Server by default. Instead it will create your database to the Windows Internal Database Service. If you want to use SQL Server, you’ll have to remove WSS and remove the Windows Internal Database Service (MICROSOFT##SSEE OR Windows Embedded Database) (as you don’t need it anymore).

The main reason why you want to do this is because you want to have WSS running on different machines (one for WSS and one for SQL Server).

Removing WSS 3.0 isn’t difficult but I ran into problems when I tried to remove the MICROSOFT##SSEE Instance.

Backup your Database

Make a copy of your folder that is located on the following path:

C:\Windows\SYSMSI\SSEE\MSSQL.2005\MSSQL\Data

MICROSOFT##SSEE Databases

Remove the instance

You can remove the instance using following commands:

(on 32-bit platforms)

- (on 32-bit platforms)

msiexec /x {CEB5780F-1A70-44A9-850F-DE6C4F6AA8FB} callerid=ocsetup.exe

- (on 64-bit platforms)

msiexec /x {BDD79957-5801-4A2D-B09E-852E7FA64D01} callerid=ocsetup.exe

Uninstall Error

If it has been removed, you’re lucky because I got the following error:

Windows Internal Database Uninstall Error

Product: Windows Internal Database — Error 29528. The setup has encountered an unexpected error while Setting

Internal Properties. The error is: Fatal error during installation.

Force the Uninstall

There is a fix for this, but it’s not very clean.

1. open Registry Editor (Run regedit)

2. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server

3. rename the folder to Microsoft SQL Server

4. rename your Microsoft SQL Server programs folder to Microsoft SQL Server_

5. run the uninstall of Windows Internal Database

6. remove the new created map HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server

7. rename the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server_ to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server

8. rename your program files folder Microsoft SQL Server_ to Microsoft SQL Server

I know it’s not the right way to do it, but it will fix your problem. You’ll notice that the service isn’t on your system, there may be some references left in your registry that you need to remove manually.