How to: Install SQL Server Compact on a Device
If you use Microsoft Visual Studio to build a .NET-connected application that uses Microsoft SQL Server Compact 3.5 (SQL Server Compact 3.5), the first time that you deploy the application to a device, the SQL Server Compact 3.5 engine is automatically installed on the device. You can also install SQL Server Compact 3.5 to a device by manually copying the .cab files to the device. If you are building a native application, you must manually copy the .cab files.
To manually install SQL Server Compact 3.5 on a device
Install the .NET Compact Framework on the device. Copy the NETCFv2.<platform>.<processor>.cab file to your device from the following directory:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\ SmartDevices\SDK\CompactFramework\2.0\v2.0\WindowsCE \<platform>\<processor>\
On the device, click the .cab file to install the .NET Compact Framework.
Copy the sqlce30.platform.processor.cab and sqlce30.repl.platform.processor.cab files to your device from the following directory:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SmartDevices\SDK\SQL Server\Mobile\v3.0\<platform>\<processor>\
Note
You only need to install sqlce30.repl.platform.processor.cab if your application uses merge replication or remote data access.
On the device, click each .cab file to install the .dll files.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Install Query Analyzer (SQL Server Compact)
Concepts
Installing and Deploying on a Device (SQL Server Compact)