Tom.Thomson (8/1/2011)

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That, in my view, is appalling indifference to accuracy.

It's a rotten question, because it leaves out essential information. Why should I, or anyone else, assume in late 2011 that an install of SQLS 2005 is not an install of SQL 2005 with SP2 or a higher service pack? Any DBA installing an earlier version than SP2 at this date would be irresponsible - the potential problems with such an old version are enormous.

It's an even more rotten answer, because it is just plain wrong even assuming an install of the RTM version. What can that weasel word "technically" in your words quoted above purport to mean other than "actually what I said was correct was just plain wrong"?

BTW, I got the point because I guessed the simple answer would be wrong, did some hunting, found the story, and reached the conclusion that it was a ridiculous trick question. But most people don't have nasty suspicious minds like mine, and will assume that the question means what it asks with no unbelievable provisos thrown in and that the answers offered mean what they say. SO you can't take this comment as sour grapes.

Kenneth Fisher-475792 (8/2/2011)

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I do apologize that you felt that "Odd # of CPUs other than 1" and "RTM Install, when no service pack or hotfix was mentioned" were "unbelievable provisos" and will certainly try to be more careful of my wording in the future.

Kenneth

shannonjk (8/2/2011)

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The question was fine, as I see 'installation of SQL Server 2005 Enterprise edition" as being installed with no service packs. The answer however is inaccurate (though I answered it correctly) as explained in this article

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/954835

I just encountered this last month and there are a few things. 1) No, installing SP2 or SP3 does not help this. We tried downloading the Digital versions of both from our resellers to no avail. Additionally, we tried expanding the service pack and installing via command prompt using the setup.exe hotfix=blah, solution to no avail as well. The ONLY option that would work, was forcing the server to think it only had one processor, install SQL Server and the subsequent service packs, then reboot the server into having its normal processors again.

Also per what a previous person said in this post, this server was to support a websphere application, and the requirements from the vendor were to only install sql server 2005 sp1, which it is currently running at and fine.

Tom.Thomson (8/2/2011)

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On reflection, I think my comments were probably over the top. I was looking at the world through a haze of annoyment with my telephone provider, and it wasn't fair to allow that to prejudice my view of the question.