INF: How to Upgrade From SQL Server 7.0 Evaluation Edition to Retail Version

ID: Q237303

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft SQL Server version 7.0

SUMMARY

When the 120-day evaluation period for your SQL Server evaluation version has expired, you will see the following error message when you start SQL Server:

The evaluation period has expired for this evaluation version of SQL Server.

In the Microsoft Windows NT application event log and in the SQL Server error log, you will see the following message:

SQL Server evaluation period has expired.

If you want to continue using the product after this period, you must purchase and install the fully licensed version of SQL Server 7.0.

After purchasing a license for SQL Server, you cannot simply upgrade from the evaluation edition to the licensed version by running SQL Setup. This article describes how to uninstall the evaluation edition and install a licensed version without losing any data that is stored in the databases you created in the evaluation edition.

MORE INFORMATION

This process will work with an evaluation version that has exceeded the 120-day limit (time-bombed) or one that has not yet expired. The instructions assume that you have installed SQL Server 7.0 to the C:\Mssql7 directory. If your SQL Server is installed to a different directory, substitute the correct directory name where appropriate.

Make a backup of all *.mdf, *.ndf, and *.ldf files. If you are not sure where all of your database files reside, the following stored procedure can be used to return a list of all files:


    CREATE PROCEDURE sp_list_db_files AS
   DECLARE @dbname sysname
   DECLARE @dbstatus INT

   SET NOCOUNT ON
   CREATE TABLE #db_files (dbname sysname, phys_name NVARCHAR(520))
   DECLARE db_curs INSENSITIVE CURSOR FOR 
     SELECT name, status FROM master.dbo.sysdatabases
   OPEN db_curs
   FETCH NEXT FROM db_curs INTO @dbname, @dbstatus
   WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS = 0)
   BEGIN
     IF (@dbstatus&32 + @dbstatus&64 + @dbstatus&128 
       + @dbstatus&256 + @dbstatus&512 = 0) 
       INSERT INTO #db_files 
       EXEC ('SELECT ''' + @dbname + ''', filename FROM ' + @dbname 
         + '.dbo.sysfiles')
     ELSE 
       PRINT 'WARNING: Could not get file list for database '''
         + @dbname + '''.  Database is currently inaccessible.'
     FETCH NEXT FROM db_curs INTO @dbname, @dbstatus
   END
   SELECT * FROM #db_files
   CLOSE db_curs
   DEALLOCATE db_curs
   RETURN (0)
   GO

Move all files out of the default SQL data root directory to a temporary location. Make sure that you include the data files for the master and all other system databases. If you are not sure where your data root directory is, use Regedt32.exe to find the following registry value:
```
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\Setup\SQLDataRoot 
```
The parent directory of the SQL Server data directory is stored in this value; add "\Data" to get the actual path. For example, if the string is "C:\Mssql7", the actual data path is "C:\Mssql7\Data".

Uninstall SQL Server 7.0 evaluation edition from Control Panel, using Add/Remove Programs.

Install the retail version of SQL Server 7.0. Be sure to use the same data root directory that the evaluation edition used, which is the directory that was stored in the registry value listed in Step 2 (the default is C:\Mssql7).

After the installation, copy the data files you moved to a temporary location in Step 2 back into the DATA directory. If you have started SQL Server, you must stop it before you will be able to replace the files. To do so, double-click Services on Control Panel, select MSSQLServer, and click Stop.

Additional query words:

Keywords : SSrvInst
Version : winnt:7.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbinfo