When installing SQL Server 2008, if the privilege, Debug Programs, is not enabled for the user doing the install, the install fails un-gracefully. You may also get a message that says ‘Access Denied’. To set the privilege, do the following:
- Click: [Start] >> [Administrative Tools] >> [Local Security Policy]
- Navigate to: Security Settings>>Local Policies>>User Right Assignment>>Debug Programs
- Add the user doing the install to the list.
- Once you have made this change, cold boot your computer and check that the change was successful.
If you already loaded SQL Server Express or any other version of SQL Server 2008, and this check reveals that ADMIN is the only entry with the permission, you must completely un-install SQL Server Express 2008 and any other related SQL services installed along with it from control panel, by using the Add/Remove Programs, then cold boot your computer and make sure no services are left in place.
You may then re-install SQL Server with the correct permissions.