Uninstalling 6.5 Problem

[Nancy Metzler]

I used "Uninstall SQL Server 6.x" (under Programs/"Microsoft SQL
Server -Switch" to remove the old 6.5 installation on one of our servers
last night. The process hung. I finally killed it after about 35 minutes.

Looking at the kill6x.log, it appears to have nicely deleted all of the
innards of the \MSSQL directory, the old SQLExecutive service, and some 6.x
registry entries. The last entry was "'C:\MSSQL7\Binn\vswitch.exe' was
deleted."

However, it also says:
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServ65' was removed.
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSSQLServer\Performan7
0' was removed.
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSSQLServer\Performan6
5' was removed.
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\Application\S
QLCTR60' was removed.
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\Application\S
QLExecutive' was removed.
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServ70' was removed.

What about the two *70 registry entries? Do we need to re-add them? Is the
SQLCTR60 entry defunct in 7.0, too, or still used? Is there anything else I
need to do to ensure my 7.0 installation is still OK? Anything else to
clean up from 6.5 except physically deleting the old .DAT files that were
stored in a different directory?

When the process hung, I searched TechNet and was appalled to run across,
for the first time, a note that said we had to be in 6.5 before telling it
to uninstall 6.5. Can this be true??? All of the other references I have
seen don't mention that, and it seems cumbersome and counter-intuitive.

I am holding off on removing 6.5 from our other servers (especially the
production server!) until I have a better understand of just what to expect.
Thanks for your help.

Nancy

[Neil Pike]

Nancy - the "70" entries are just there for switching - no need to re-add. I
didn't think you had to manually switch back to 6.5 to uninstall.

See uninstall FAQ entry for list of stuff to clean-up

Neil Pike MVP/MCSE. Protech Computing Ltd
Reply here - no email
SQL FAQ (484 entries) see
forumsb.compuserve.com/gvforums/UK/default.asp?SRV=MSDevApps (faqrtf.zip - L7
- SQL Public)
or http://www.ntfaq.com/Section.cfm?sectionID=34
or www.sqlserverfaq.com
or www.mssqlserver.com/faq

[Nancy Metzler]

Thanks, Neil. I had checked your FAQ -- one of the first things I always
do! (Thanks again for keeping it the good resource that it is.)

The unsettling reference to being in 6.5 before uninstalling 6.5 came from
the "MS SQL Server 7.0 Preparedness Review," Appendix B:

"How do I remove SQL Server 6.5 when my upgrade is complete?
After you have completed your upgrade, you may want to reclaim disk space by
choosing to remove SQL Server 6.5. Be sure you are switched to SQL Server
6.5 before you initiate the uninstall, and you should have no problems. SQL
Server 6.x must be the active version of SQL Server when you run SQL Server
Setup to remove SQL Server 6.x. If SQL Server 7.0 is active when SQL Server
Setup tries to remove SQL Server 6.x, part of each is removed and the
registry is corrupted. For more information review the "Removing SQL Server
6.x" section in the "Upgrading from an Earlier Version of SQL Server" topic
in SQL Server 7.0 Books Online. "

I had read this document before we ever upgraded, but missed these
statements. Earlier in the same document if says:

"SQL Server 6.x Removal
After upgrading the SQL Server version 6.x databases to SQL Server 7.0, you
may want to leave SQL Server 6.x on your computer until you are sure you no
longer need it. When you are ready, you can remove SQL Server 6.x by using
the Remove SQL Server 6.x tool in the SQL Server 7.0 program group. "

Thanks for the explanation of the registry entries.

Nac

Neil Pike <10057...@compuserve.com> wrote in message ...