Enabling FILESTREAM post SQL2008 Setup - a Known Issue in SQL Config Manager

In SQL Server 2008 Feb CTP, there is a bug in the WMI provider for FILESTREAM, inside SQL Configuration Manager (select instance, r-click properties and go to FILESTREAM tab). This bug causes the FILESTREAM configuration UI, to fail. This happens only if:

    1) you want to enable FILESTREAM after SQL setup

    2) another instance of SQL 2005 or SQL 2000 (Pre-SQL2008) is installed on the same machine, for example when you install SQL 2008 (any SKU other than CEC) on a machine running Visual Studio 2008 (which installs SQL 2005 Express by default). 

The most common case is when you decide to install SQL 2008 on a machine where you installed Visual Studio 2008 (install with default settings) and during SQL 2008 setup you didn't want to enable FILESTREAM; then decide to decide to enable FILESTREAM post setup (for example, in order to use the SQL 2008 AdventureWorks database samples, which require FILESTREAM to be enabled). In this case, you need to enable FILESTREAM in SQL Config Manager first for needed Windows configuration steps. 

This issue will repro also if you install SQL2008 first (FILESTREAM disabled), install Vidual Studio second (which installs SQL 2005) then decide to enable FILESTREAM (which has to be done in SQL Config Manager for Windows settings then in Management studio for SQL instance specific settings).

This UI issue will be fixed for SQL 2008 (whatever next milestone).

Workarounds for SQL 2008 February CTP and Upcoming Release Candidate 0:

Any of the following will work, but option 2 is the recommended one:

      1) Uninstall the SQL 2005 instance, or

2) During SQL 2008 setup, check the enable FILESTREAM box, or

3) If Filestream was not enabled during setup:

a. Copy the WMI script on https://www.codeplex.com/SQLSrvEngine/Wiki/View.aspx?title=FileStreamEnable&referringTitle=Home to a local folder.

b. Run the script as explained on codeplex.

thanks!

joanna