Before installing Microsoft SQL Server Compact 3.5 components, you must install the following software on your desktop computer.

Prerequisite Software

The following is the list of prerequisite software:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3 (or a later client version) or Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (or a later server version) should be the operating system for the development computer and the computer that is running IIS if data exchange with SQL Server is planned.

    If you install Windows XP SP3, to use SQL Server Compact connectivity, you will have to enable HTTP access. The default setting is to disable HTTP access. To enable HTTP access, do the following:

    1. Open Control Panel.

    2. Click the Windows Firewall icon.

    3. Click Advanced.

    4. Click Settings in the Network Connection Settings area.

    5. Select the Web Server (HTTP) check box.

    6. Click OK to confirm the change.

      For more information about how to configure the Windows Firewall, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 875356.

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or a later version is required on the computer that is running IIS. The .NET Framework is installed with Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and later versions and with SQL Server 2008 and later versions. To download .NET Framework 2.0 from the Microsoft Web site, see .NET Framework 2.0 Download Center.

  • Microsoft ActiveSync 4.0 or a later version is required in the development, together with the server environment. ActiveSync is available as a free download at ActiveSync Download.

Software Requirements for installing SQL Server Compact 3.5 on a Desktop

Unless you are using the OLEDB data provider, the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or a later version is required to install SQL Server Compact 3.5. You can download the .NET Framework 2.0 from the .NET Framework 2.0 Download Center.

The following software is not required to install SQL Server Compact 3.5 on desktop computers because the SQL Server Compact 3.5 installer for desktop computers has runtime binary files only:

  • Internet Information Services (IIS)

  • ActiveSync

  • Internet Explorer

  • Neither Visual Studio nor SQL Server are required to install SQL Server Compact 3.5

Concepts

Hardware and Software Requirements

Installing a Development Environment

Installing a Server Environment

Installing and Deploying on a Device (SQL Server Compact)

Upgrading from Earlier Versions (SQL Server Compact)