Mark Orlando

The Missing Sample Databases for SQL Server 2005 Express

After installing Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition, I examined the results of installing SQL Server 2005 Express and found the Pubs and Northwind sample databases were missing. Apparently, you have to install the databases on your own. Here's how:

Go to the following URL and download the installation file (SQL2000SampleDb.msi) onto your hard drive. Although the page title says "Northwind and pubs Sample Databases for SQL Server 2000" they install fine on SQL Server 2005 Express.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=06616212-0356-46a0-8da2-eebc53a68034&displaylang=en.

After you run the SQL2000SampleDb.msi file, the installation process will create the following folder:
C:\SQL Server 2000 Sample Databases

Open a Visual Studio 2005 command prompt (Start -> Programs -> Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 -> Visual Studio Tools -> Visual Studio 2005 Command Prompt and change the directory so you are in C:\SQL Server 2000 Sample Databases. Execute the following lines in the command window to install the databases. The example command assumes the scripts are in your root directory.

c:\sqlcmd -S .\SQLEXPRESS -i instpubs.sql

My.Blogs from MSDN is an Awesome Start

Find What You Love

While surfing the blogs, I stumbled across this entry about a commencement speech Steve Jobs gave on June 2005 at Stanford University. It is an enlightening speech and well worth the time for anyone to read. In Steve's speech he said:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.”

World's Simplest Code Generator

Backup and Restore SQL Server Databases to Disk

Backup and Restore commands can only be executed from within the master database; this is accomplished by issuing the USE master command. The example below backs up the USRDB database to disk.

USE master
BACKUP DATABASE USRDB TO DISK = 'C:\Backup\Renee\DatabaseBackup\2005.07.20.1200.USRDB.Bak'

USE master
DROP DATABASE USRDB
RESTORE DATABASE USRDB FROM DISK = 'C:\Backup\Renee\DatabaseBackup\2005.07.20.1200.USRDB.Bak'