Context: Creating an installation package for a windows app that uses SQL Express. Using WIX. In general, the WIX setup files are working, just the SQL install failed so I fell back to running the .msi directly and that also fails.
I have the same error as in this forum post: How do I install SQL Express 2014 LocalDB on Windows 8.1? The answers on that post have not led me to the issue and I haven't really made any headway on other forums. The error message is:
"Installation of this product failed because it is not supported on this operating system. For information on supported configurations, see the product documentation."
The installation target is a Hyper-V guest machine as follows: 2G RAM, 14.5 GB free on the C: drive, 2.5 GHz CPU. I turned .NET 3.5 on.
I used a .msi file from here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42299 and selected "LocalDB 32BIT\SqlLocalDB.msi".
I have a hard time believing it's not supported on a VM since that is such a logical place to test applications using SQL express.
One of my problems is not even seeing a log file. The location in Program files doesn't exist and I don't know where else to look.
Update after initial post: So this link suggests SQL Express 2014 won't work in virtualized machines other than on servers, but I'm assuming that limitation is for the Hyper-V host, not the guests. Also, at the Microsoft link above I downloaded this install file, Express 32BIT\SQLEXPR_x86_ENU.exe, and that worked just fine, including from within the WIX install package as part of the install chain/bundle. so clearly SQL Express works just fine. But that's not what we would want to use for an end user is it? Don't we just want the light-weight LocalDB package? So I think I've isolated my real question as stated above, why doesn't the simple SQL 2014 Express LocalDB .msi file install?
And with regard to virtualization, isn't testing apps on VM's the desired and acceptable practice?