I had a working copy of SQL Server 2005 x86 DEV on my Windows 7 laptop. For some reason I had to uninstall it and now I am not able to install it again.
I am aware of the fact the I am not supposed to start the server service before applying SP3 or higher. So I keep the start server and the end check box unchecked. However during the installation there comes a point were the installer try to start the service (even if the flag was unchecked). After taking around 10 minutes or so it report an error that it can't start the service. And the eventually I need to cancel the installation. The net result is missing SQL server.
Can someone provide me with a fix. (I can't use a different version of OS or SQL Serer)