Where is the SQL Express install log?

The SQL Express installer (unlike MSDE) produces a log file by default. There is no need to specify extra parameters when running setup.exe.

The log gets written to:

%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Summary.txt

For example, on my machine,

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Summary.txt

Multiple other log files are written to the same folder, because the SQL Express install actually comprises multiple other installs.

Where is the MSDE install log?

Where you can find the MSDE install log depends on what options you chose when you ran your install.

By default, no log is produced when you run setup.exe to install MSDE. To get a log, you have to add the /L parameter.

To get the MSDE install to log:

1. In the MSDE installer folder, right-click Setup.exe and create a shortcut

2. View properties for the shortcut, and at the end of the Target string, add

/L*v C:\MSDE_setup.log

For example:

"C:\MSDE\setup.exe" /L*v C:\MSDE_setup.log

3. Install by running the shortcut.

Note that /L tells setup to produce a log. The *v parameter makes it a verbose log. And C:\MSDE_setup.log is the location of the log that will be produced.

You can use a different location and/or filename. Setup will overwrite the file if it already exists.

The Microsoft Jet database engine could not find the object filename.

I got this error trying to open DBF files using Access: The Microsoft Jet database engine could not find the object filename. Make sure the object exists and that you spell its name and the path name correctly.

I had a folder full of dBASE IV DBF files. Turns out the problem was that my file names were longer than 8 characters.

For example, after I renamed "My Customers.DBF" to "CUST.DBF", it opened just fine.

I had a lot of files I had to rename, which sucked.