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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-06-12T18:29:28+00:00

I have the full Visual Studio 2010 (not express) installed, with SQL Server that

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I have the full Visual Studio 2010 (not express) installed, with SQL Server that came with it as well:

enter image description here

I was trying to locate SQL Server Management Studio (ssms) in order to follow this tutorial but I can’t seem to find it in my installation.

I could theoretically download the 2008 Management Studio Express but given the so many editions and versions of SSMS (e.g. 2012 Express), how do I know whether it is compatible with my VS 2010?

Also, why download an Express Edition if I already have it in my original Visual Studio 2010 DVD?

So my questions are:

  1. Is SSMS already installed but I don’t see it? (if so, how do I locate it?)
  2. If it’s not installed, do I just need to run Setup again, then install it?
  3. If it isn’t really on the VS 2010 DVD (as many on SO suggest), which downloadable Express edition is most compatible with my VS 2010 (not express)?

Update: (for the benefit of future MS SQL Server newcomers)

Thanks to the answers below I managed to successfully install what I needed and most importantly understand the tools picture.

So to answer my particular questions one by one:

  1. No
  2. No
  3. SQL Server Management Studio 2008 Express

Tips:

  1. Once everything is installed, the next question is “What do I do next?”. Fortunately, there is a great tutorial which to me is much clearer than the cumbersome (repetitious, cyclic links, non-linear, etc.) official Microsoft documentation.
  2. Despite the greatness of the functionx.com tutorial, it doesn’t provide enough details on how to initially connect to local. Once again, SO comes to the rescue and clarifies that 2 more conditions must be met: (a) SQL Server Browser service must be running. (b) Server name must not be “local” but rather <local-pc-name>\SQLEXPRESS.
  3. To programmatically create a database in C#, use ADO.NET as well.
  4. Why use schemas.
  5. Don’t even think about storing database files on a network share.
  6. If you get “Invalid object name” in a SELECT statement for a table you just created, refresh the local cache.
  7. When encountering System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException for the first time you use C# with an existing database using new SqlConnection(), remember that “Data Source=” cannot specify the computer name alone (as in the tutorial) but rather have \SQLEXPRESS appended to the computer name. Also, make sure TCP/IP Client Protocol is enabled.
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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    SSMS is for running queries and performing database administration tasks, etc. Configuration manager is a configuration tool for SQL Server, where you can configure (Start/Stop/user credentials, etc.) the services used by SQL Server.

    However, installing Visual Studio does not mean you get the full version of SQL Server, but you get the Express edition, which does not include SSMS.

    Maybe this MSDN link will help.

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