The case of the missing Business Intelligence Studio

One of my co-workers was struggling with a strange problem recently - he installed SQL Server 2005 (with Analysis Services 2005), but the Business Intelligence Studio application didn't install. If you haven't seen it, BI Studio is really just a special version of the Visual Studio 2005 IDE, with Analysis Services-specific projects and editors. What he saw was that even though the SQL Server installer claimed to have installed it, and even created a shortcut for it, the actual devenv.exe executable wasn't installed (the shortcut pointed to an invalid path). I'd installed SQL Server many a time, and never seen this problem. A search of the MSDN forums turned up this helpful topic, with the following advice from 'softie Dan Jones:

go to the location for SQL Server setup and run .\Tools\Setup\vs_setup.exe. This will install the VS Shell. After this is installed repair the BI Studio installation by running the following from the command line from the .\Tools directory: start /wait setup.exe /qb REINSTALL=SQL_WarehouseDevWorkbench REINSTALLMODE=OMUS

 My co-worker tried it, and bingo, problem solved. I've still seen no satisfactory explanation for what causes the problem in the first place. We had no other versions of Visual Studio installed, which some other people have claimed triggered the problem. Very curious.
 

23 Comments

  • Great tip. Thanks for not forcing me to wade through MSDN library for this obscure quirk.

  • I ran this twice and it still didn't show up (Team Edition VS 2005, Dev edition SQL 2005). Very frustrating...

  • Worked for me. Thanks very much.

  • I've had a little different issue. BI Studio components were OK with a user account, but not with another one.
    I just manually ran vs_setup.msi on the installation DVD and everything went OK.

  • Another MS "feature" ;-)

  • It worked like a charm for the people who were not able to get it to work follow these steps.

    First go to DISK 2(Tools cd) then go to \Tools\Setup\vs_setup.exe once installed now
    Go to \Tools\Setup\SqlRun_Tools.msi and select BI studio and select option to install on local drive
    once installation is complete u should see BI studio good luck and thanks again for a great TIP

  • I had this problem too, and the most recent comment in this blog did it for me. A small difference - I did not have the two .exe files mentioned, rather I had vs_setup.msi and SqlRun_Tools.msi files. I double - clicked vs_setup and it eventually complted with a success panel - no feedback when it launched or was running, though. Then I double clicked SqlRun_Tools and saw the familiar GUI for workstation components install. BSIS icon was already set as if it was installed, but when I clicked 'Next' it installed the program.

  • I have seen a similiar problem except with SQL Server Management Studio. Even though SQL Server installer said that it was installed it was not. To resolve this I went to Disk2\Setup and double clicked on SqlRun_Tools.msi. The GUI for Change or Remove Instance comes up and you then select Change Installed Components. Finally select Client Components and install

    This has happened to me a couple of times and I notice that in my case it always occurs when I decide not to install all of the components.

  • hi ive installed Visual Studio via \Tools\Setup\vs_setup.exe

    when i went to install the Business Intelliegence Feature. I recieved this message:

    A Component that you have specified in the ADD_LOCAL property is already installed. To Upgrade the existing component, refer to the template.iniand set UPGRADE property to the name of the component.

    any ideas what this is about???

  • where i got the file vs_setup.msi for visual studio 2008
    thx

  • Perfect. To the point and exactly what I needed and it works. Can't ask for more.

    Cheers :)

  • you guys are awesome. I thought I was going nuts when the Installer kept saying BI was already installed.

  • Ooh, hope this works for me. Just uninstalled the whole thing to try a reinstall...zzz.

    What a stupid bug.

  • It sound like a good fix except I dont know how to go to the mentioned \tools\vs-set...ect?

  • Worked like a charm
    2005 Developer Edition

    In response to big jim:
    I performed the above from my install cd.
    On your install cd: If running 32 bit, open SQL Server x86 / Tools / Setup and run the vs_setup.msi. Give this time to complete before proceeding. It may take a few minutes. You will receive a pop up box notifying you when complete.

    Then on your start menu select "run" and type "cmd". In this command prompt you would first need to change your directory to your cd drive. For example if was your D drive, you would type "D:" without the quotes and hit enter. Then you need to go to the "tools" directory by entering: cd SQL Server x86\Tools into the command prompt and hit enter.

    Last Step:
    Just as provided above, copy and paste the following code "start /wait setup.exe /qb REINSTALL=SQL_WarehouseDevWorkbench REINSTALLMODE=OMUS" (without quotes) into the command prompt and then enter.

    Hope this can help you if you are still having issues. It worked for me.

    Thanks again to Microsoft....

  • This article and comments from VJ and Chris saved me a day reinstalling everything. much appreciated.

  • "VJ"s - steps worked like a charm !

  • I have a visual studio 2008 but sql server 2005. I didnt use SSIS (business intelligence project). I know sql server 2008 has business intelligence project but I use 2005.How am I use the busıness ıntelligence project on the sql 2005. Thanks

  • It works for me! Thank you so much.
    Samuel

  • You guys are awesome! Thanks!!

    Sonny

  • Worked for me.

    Thx

  • When I executed \\Tools\Setup\SqlRun_Tools.msi to install BIDS I got the message "Insert next disk" The problem is I got no "next disk" cause I'm using the DVD installer version of en_sql_2005_ent_x64_dvd.iso.

    Has anyone encountered this?

    Thanks
    Loyd

  • My trouble began when I un-installed VS2005 and Visual Source Safe. Seems that BI wants to live in VS2005 under "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe". What a mess!!!

    Anyone have feedback or sugestions?

Comments have been disabled for this content.