Hi guys,
I have a server where SQL Server 2012 Express was installed.
Yesterday, I upgraded to 2017 version.
Now I need to roll back.
Can I uninstall SQL Server 2017 without affecting 2012 installation?
Hi guys,
I have a server where SQL Server 2012 Express was installed.
Yesterday, I upgraded to 2017 version.
Now I need to roll back.
Can I uninstall SQL Server 2017 without affecting 2012 installation?
Hi @OlafHelper-2800,
Yes it was.
When software vendor support tried to create a database or work with a new database they get an error message.
Can I uninstall SQL Server 2017 without affecting 2012 installation?
No. SQL server 2012 becomes to SQL server 2017, when doing an in-place upgrade for SQL server 2012. When you uninstalling SQL server 2017, the SQL server instance will be removed. So there is no SQL server 2012 existed. In another word, you can not roll back SQL 2017 to SQL 2012, after you doing an in-place upgrade for SQL 2012.
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work with a new database they get an error message.
Which exact error message do they get? Is SQL Server service up & running?
Please review installation log for more details for what went wrong during installation: View and Read SQL Server Setup Log Files
Review also SQL Server ErrorLog file to see if there are errors noted: Viewing the SQL Server Error Log
In addition to other posts:
If you want to revert to SQL 2012, you uninstall SQL 2017, install SQL 2012, apply service packs. You would then have to restore backups taken with SQL 2012 - I hope you took backups before the upgrade!
You cannot restore backups from SQL 2017, nor can you cannot attach the database files to SQL 2012.
Hi All,
Thanks for your replies.
Below is the screenshot of all SQL versions installed.

However, in SSMS if I enter SELECT @@version I'm getting SQL 2008 instead of 2017.

Why the newest version of SQL is not picked up?
Fortunately, I have no production databases running on this SQL Server so there was no need to backup\restore anything.
Just need SQL Server 2017 working with new databases.
Why the newest version of SQL is not picked up?
Because you are not connecting to the instance that runs SQL 2017.
This instance runs SQL 2008 SP1, and you need to apply Service Pack3 on it to be able to update it.
How I can check if it is Express Edition of SQL 2008 SP1 or not?
Can I install SP3 if 2012 and 2017 version are installed?
SELECT @@version I'm getting SQL 2008 instead of 2017.
Expand the result field of that query or copy the result to an text editor, the result includes the edition as well.
How I can check if it is Express Edition of SQL 2008 SP1 or not?
You read the output of SELECT @@version.
Can I install SP3 if 2012 and 2017 version are installed?
Yes.
Hi @ITGeek82-8422,
Why the newest version of SQL is not picked up?
You did not connect to the correct SQL server instance(SQL 2017) in SSMS. Please follow below steps;
Check your SQL server 2017 instance name in SSCM and make sure the SQL server 2017 service in running. In my environment, I installed SQL 2019.
Choose the correct instance name in SSMS.


Please refer to MS document Lesson 1: Connecting to the Database Engine to get more.
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Hi @Cathyji-msft,
I followed the steps you advised but I can't see 2012 and 2017 installations.
I can't understand why 2012 and 2017 SQL versions are not listed in SSCM.
Hi @ITGeek82-8422,
I can't understand why 2012 and 2017 SQL versions are not listed in SSCM.
What version of SSCM did you use? Suggest you using SSCM 2017 under the Microsoft SQL 2017 folder as below screenshot. In my environment, I installed SQL 2012 and SQL 2019, but when I using SSCM 2012, the SQL 2019 is not list in it. We suggest you using the highest version SSCM that installed in your environment to manage SQL server instances. High version SQL server could not list in lower version SSCM.


If the response is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it, thank you.
Thanks everyone for your replies.
Installed SQL Server 2017 x64 Express as a stand-alone and now can see a new instance.
Hi @ITGeek82-8422,
I am glad to hear that your issue have bee resolved. If the responses helped, do "Accept Answer". By doing so, it will benefit all community members who are having this similar issue. Your contribution is highly appreciated.
If you have further issue, please feel free to ask.
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