Why was Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Pre-Installed w/WinXP?

[eecon]

My new T61 6462-CTO was ordered with "WinXP SP2" and came pre-installed with stuff called Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and several other MS SQL Server programs listed in Control Panel (delivered back in August 2007).

I don't write programs or develop software .... I just surf the web via a cable modem, read and send emails, burn CDs or DVDs, and occasionally use MS Word and Excel (via Office 2003 Pro that I recently installed last month). I don't even play games and I am not networked to any other computers here at the house.

I have searched Google for a simple answer to my question over the last few weeks to find only technical jargon about SQL and how to use it, etc. Hopefully one of our good forum members here could point me to an answer regarding my two part question below.

Question:

Why are these SQL programs needed and why were they installed in the first place?

Backgound:

I currently have a T42 with all the same software as my T61 except it did not come with any SQL stuff in 2003 when I direct ordered it from IBM. This includes WinXP SP2, IE7, Zone Alarm Security Suite, Nero 7, MS Net Framework 1.1/2.0, plus all the software/drivers are up-to-date on both machines. The main difference is the T42 does not have any of the SQL stuff.

I noticed that the T61 (from the very day it was new out of the box "before" I installed any new software to match my T42) was always 5 seconds slower to open IE7 to the home page (set by me to "blank page"). I assume it has something to do with the MSSQL Server Manager running and it's associated icon in the T61 task bar tray. And stopping the SQL server does not help.

Even today with all the software and common settings matched on both machines (except for Office 2003 Pro on my T61 vs. Office 2002 Pro on my T42), that same annoying delay in seeing a IE7 browser window fully open to a blank page persists. It's still about 5 seconds for the T61 and virtually instant on the T42.

This is frustrating because all my settings in IE7 are the same on both machines, so I can only assume it has to do with the Microsoft SQL Server stuff.

Any clues here would be greatly appreciated (before I have to spend time next week holding on the telephone line with Lenovo Support).

[andyP]

AFAIK the SQL server is installed because office 2007, which is now mostly also pre-installed, requires it for the Business Contact Manager.

[ryengineer]

snip......a simple answer to my question over the last few weeks to find only technical jargon about SQL and how to use it,.......snip......Question:

Why are these SQL programs needed and why were they installed in the first place?.....snip

1. Thinkpads are business machines, SQL Server is a database management system just like Oracle Server, an example of very low level data base management is Microsoft Access. Having used all three, I can tell you that one cannot use them properly without prior knowledge nor one can learn them without guidance IMO.

A simple practical example of database system is this forum, you enter your username and password, the database system pulls up your file and verifies it from the server and lets you logon afterwards, but if the username and password doesn't match to the stored copy in the database, it gives you an error.

You don't seem to need SQL server, it's preloaded on select thinkpads for those who have know-how about it.

2. I don't believe SQL server has anything to do with your Internet Explorer's delay, look at the following solution posted by another member:

T61 - Slow IE load times.

[eecon]

.......snip...... 2. I don't believe SQL server has anything to do with your Internet Explorer's delay, look at the following solution posted by another member:

T61 - Slow IE load times.

Thank you so much .... the disabling of the two IE7 add-ons did the trick for me!

Now I'll keep the preinstalled SQL software as-is because someday I may upgrade to Office 2007 (plus, I thought I read somewhere that a component of my Office 2003 Pro may also use some of the SQL stuff).

Wow ..... having been pointed to a solution for this annoying delay in IE7 on an end-of-work-week Friday is like best gift I received this holiday season .... Thanks again.

Happy New Year to all!

[Puppy]

BTW Isn't possible to select what is supposed to be pre-installed to get rid of all the trial software mess ?

[eecon]

BTW Isn't possible to select what is supposed to be pre-installed to get rid of all the trial software mess ?

Not when I ordered it. I just got to pick hardware options and operating system plus had some office suite and productivity software choices, which I declined .... but then again it was through a corp/edu group, so the group may have spec'd some of that SQL stuff on the sleath is my guess.

Either way, IE7 is so much faster now when opening pages (and Outlook seems to open faster too)!

Wow .... wow ..... this is like too good to be true.

I almost feel like a high energy sophmore kid in HS again!

[Phil_L]

Hi

Thinkpads are business machines, SQL Server is a database management system just like Oracle Server, an example of very low level data base management is Microsoft Access. Having used all three, I can tell you that one cannot use them properly without prior knowledge nor one can learn them without guidance IMO.

I found SQL server on the Lenovo 300 N200 that came with Vista Home Ultimate, and Oracle DB client tools. I am a developer but no way do I want my PC bogged down by server databases, we have proper server machines to run our databases, not my own laptop!

Regards

Phil

[eecon]

Hi

Thinkpads are business machines, SQL Server is a database management system just like Oracle Server, an example of very low level data base management is Microsoft Access. Having used all three, I can tell you that one cannot use them properly without prior knowledge nor one can learn them without guidance IMO.

I found SQL server on the Lenovo 300 N200 that came with Vista Home Ultimate, and Oracle DB client tools. I am a developer but no way do I want my PC bogged down by server databases, we have proper server machines to run our databases, not my own laptop!

Regards

Phil

Thanks for the info .... was your 300 N20 ordered through any corporate or educational discount program? I wonder how many Lenovo laptops ship out with that SQL stuff which have not been ordered through any special corp or edu programs?

Someone earlier mentioned that Office 2007 requires SQL for Business Contacts Manager. If I don't use that part of the Office Suite, could I safely uninstall all that SQL stuff listed under the Windows XP Control Panel's Add/Remove programs?

Although my T61 runs pretty fast, does the fact that I have an SQL Service Manager running in my icon tray slow things down and unnecessarily use up memory?

As I mentioned at the start of this thread, I just surf the web via a cable modem, read and send emails, burn CDs or DVDs, and occasionally use MS Word and Excel (via Office 2003 Pro that I recently installed last month). I don't even play games and I am not networked to any other computers here at the house when the unit is docked and connected to my external KB and 22" WS monitor. I do occaasionally use the T61 to connect to my employer's network via citrix to check corporate email or retrieve an excel or word file, but I can also do that just fine with my older T42 that does not have any of this SQL stuff (I call it "stuff" because that's all it is to me for now).

I just want to be sure I can safely uninstall this stuff without my T61 later refusing to boot up into WinXP, etc.

Thanks again

[ryengineer]

Again, you don't seem to need SQL server, if any of it's components are required by your Windows or Office, you can install them again via Microsoft update.

snip....I just want to be sure I can safely uninstall this stuff without my T61 later refusing to boot up into WinXP, etc....snip

Your Windows XP doesn't require SQL to start, if you feel very conscious about it then create a restore point in Windows System Restore or a backup image in ThinkVantage Rescue and Recovery prior to uninstalling it.