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Installing SQL Server Native Client

Microsoft SQL Server Native Client 10.0 is installed when you install SQL Server 2008 R2 or the SQL Server tools. If the SQL Server 2005 version of SQL Server Native Client is also installed on the computer, SQL Server Native Client 10.0 will be installed side-by-side with the earlier version. SQL Server 2008 R2 Native Client will overwrite SQL Server 2008 Native Client.

The SQL Server Native Client files (sqlncli10.dll, sqlnclir10.rll, and s10ch_sqlncli.chm) are installed to the following location: 

%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\

Note

All appropriate registry settings for the SQL Server Native Client OLE DB provider and the SQL Server Native Client ODBC driver are made as part of the installation process.

The SQL Server Native Client header and library files (sqlncli.h and sqlncli10.lib) are installed in the following location:

%PROGRAMFILES%\Microsoft SQL Server\100\SDK

In addition to installing SQL Server Native Client as part of the SQL Server installation, there is also a redistributable installation program named sqlncli.msi, which can be found on the SQL Server installation disk in the following location:

%CD%\Setup\

You can distribute SQL Server Native Client through sqlncli.msi. You might have to install SQL Server Native Client when you deploy an application. One way to install multiple packages in what seems to the user to be a single installation is to use chainer and bootstrapper technology. For more information, see Authoring a Custom Bootstrapper Package for Visual Studio 2005 and Adding Custom Prerequisites.

The x64 and Itanium versions of sqlncli.msi also install the 32-bit version of SQL Server Native Client. If your application targets a platform other than the one it was developed on, you can download versions of sqlncli.msi for x64, Itanium, and x86 from the Microsoft Download Center.

When you invoke sqlncli.msi, only the client components are installed by default. The client components are are files that support running an application that was developed using SQL Server Native Client. To also install the SDK components, specify ADDLOCAL=All on the command line. For example:

msiexec /i sqlncli.msi ADDLOCAL=ALL APPGUID={0CC618CE-F36A-415E-84B4-FB1BFF6967E1}

Silent Install

If you use the /passive, /qn, /qb, or /qr option with msiexec, you must also specify IACCEPTSQLNCLILICENSETERMS=YES, to explicitly indicate that you accept the terms of the end user license. This option must be specified in all capital letters.

Uninstalling SQL Server Native Client

Because applications such as SQL Server server and the SQL Server tools depend on SQL Server Native Client, it is important not to uninstall SQL Server Native Client until all dependent applications are uninstalled. To provider users with a warning that your application depends on SQL Server Native Client, use the APPGUID install option in your MSI, as follows:

msiexec /i sqlncli.msi APPGUID={0CC618CE-F36A-415E-84B4-FB1BFF6967E1}

The value passed to APPGUID is your specific product code. A product code must be created when using Microsoft Installer to bundle your application setup program.