Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies®
by Robert D. Schneider, Darril Gibson
IX.B.1. I Can't Install the Software!
Having some cool new software and not being able to get it installed isn't much fun. Luckily, SQL Server 2008 usually gets up and running without a hitch. If you do encounter an obstacle, use the following checklist to help you avoid hot water:
Make sure you have sufficient permissions to add or remove software.
Generally, a good idea is to install or remove software as an administrator. Otherwise, the operating system might block you from making these changes.
Remove any previous versions (such as beta installations) of SQL Server 2008 via the Add/Remove Programs application within the Control Panel.

If you skip this step, a good chance exists that the installer will complain loudly and then keel over. Even though it's tedious, take the time to clean things up before trying to install.
Make sure you have all necessary supporting software.
Generally, the SQL Server installer is quite intelligent and diligently acquires whatever is missing (for example, Windows Installer, .NET Framework 2.0, SQL Server Native Client, and so on). However, you might need to obtain these components ...
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