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Trouble Shooting

To Delete Old Databases

Steps to delete old databases in SQL Server Management Studio:
  1. Open SQL Server Management Studio and log in to your SQL Server instance.
  2. In the Object Explorer on the left-hand side, find and click on the “Databases” folder.
  3. Press the F7 key to open the Object Explorer Details window.
  4. Use the CTRL+Click method to select all the PHDwin databases that you want to delete. These databases should all start with the name “Phd”.
  5. Right-click on any of the selected databases and choose “Delete”.
  6. Confirm the deletion by clicking “OK” in the confirmation window that appears.
Note: Be careful when deleting databases, as this action cannot be undone. Make sure you have selected the correct databases before proceeding with the deletion.

Installing Extra Components

When you install PHDwin, three extra components will also be installed: the Visual C++ Redistributable, SQL Native Client, and OBDC Driver 13 for SQL Server. If any of these components are missing from your computer, the installation wizard will prompt you to install them. Make sure to install these components locally with the PHDwin application, as they are necessary for PHDwin to function properly.

Install Wizard Error Message

If you encounter an error message during the InstallShield Wizard process, it may be due to missing components that are required for the installation. In such a case, you can review the list of missing components and click on the “Install” button to download and install them. Note that this may require a restart of your computer. Once you have installed the missing components, you can restart the installation process by executing the PHDwin_3.1_Setup.exe file again. This should allow you to complete the installation of PHDwin without encountering any further errors.

To Install Visual C++ Redistributable

Detailed step-by-step guide for installing the Visual C++ Redistributable:
  1. Open your browser and go to the Microsoft Download Center.
  2. Search for “Visual C++ Redistributable” in the search bar.
  3. Select the version of the Visual C++ Redistributable that matches your system’s architecture (either x86 or x64).
  4. Click the Download button to download the installer.
  5. Once the download is complete, locate the downloaded file in your Downloads folder (or the location you chose to save it in).
  6. Double-click on the file to run the installer.
  7. In the Setup window, check the box to Agree to the terms and conditions.
  8. Click the Install button to begin the installation.
  9. Wait for the installation to complete. This may take several minutes.
  10. Once the installation is complete, you can close the installer window.

To Install OBDC Driver 13 for SQL Server

Steps for installing the ODBC Driver 13 for SQL Server:
  1. Go to the Downloads folder or the location where you saved the installation file, which should be named something like “msobdcsql131_x64.msi”.
  2. Double-click on the installation file to begin the installation process.
  3. Follow the instructions provided by the installer, which may involve clicking the “Next” or “Install” buttons, and accepting the terms of the license agreement.
  4. Once the installation is complete, you should see a confirmation message or prompt to restart your computer.

To Install the SQL Native Client

  1. Open the Downloads folder or the location where you saved the sqlncli_x64.msi file.
  2. Double-click on the file to begin the installation.
  3. In the setup window, click “Next” to start the installation process.
  4. Read and accept the license agreement, then click “Next” to continue.
  5. Leave the default settings on the “Feature Selection” page and click “Next”.
  6. Wait for the setup to complete the installation, then click “Install”.
  7. Once the installation is finished, click “Finish”.
  8. Restart your computer to allow the configuration changes to take effect.

Problem – Server is not Showing Up when I try to Login

  1. When attempting to log in to PHDwin, you notice that nothing is listed under “Server,” even after clicking the Browse button. Solution: Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot this issue:
    1. Verify that SQL Server Browser is running automatically: During the installation process, you should have set the SQL Server Browser to start automatically. If you didn’t, PHDwin will not be able to see the server as an available option when you try to log in. To check whether the service is running automatically, follow these steps: a. Start SQL Server Configuration Manager – Click Start, point to All Programs, and click Microsoft SQL Server. Click Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Configuration Manager. b. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, in the console pane, click on SQL Server Services. c. In the details pane, look for SQL Server Browser. The Start Mode should be set to Automatic. If it is set to “Other” or “Disabled,” right-click on SQL Server Browser and choose Properties. d. In the Properties window, go to the Service tab and find the Start Mode. Change this to Automatic and click OK. e. Right-click on the SQL Server Browser and click Restart to apply the changes.
    2. Enable TCP/IP and Named Pipes: If you installed SQL Server on a network server and you or other users will need to connect to it, you need to enable TCP/IP and Named Pipes connections. To do this, follow these steps: a. Start SQL Server Configuration Manager – Click Start, point to All Programs, and click Microsoft SQL Server. Click Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Configuration Manager. b. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, in the console pane, expand SQL Server Network Configuration. c. In the console pane, click Protocols for <instance_name>. d. In the details pane, right-click TCP/IP, and then click Enable. e. In the details pane, right-click Named Pipes, and then click Enable. f. In the console pane, click SQL Server Services. g. In the details pane, right-click SQL Server (<instance_name>), and then click Restart, to stop and restart the SQL Server service to apply the changes.
    If neither of these solutions works, further troubleshooting may be required. For more information, see the article from Microsoft on “Troubleshoot connecting to the SQL Server Database Engine”

Problem – Login Credentials are Invalid

If you receive an error stating that your login credentials are invalid while trying to log in to PHDwin, make sure to click on the “Change Login” button to review the server details. This error typically appears when trying to log in using a SQL username and password rather than Windows authentication. Double-check that you have entered the correct password and try logging in again.
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