SQL Server: Install Invalid Version 661

Question

When trying to bind a database file to:

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (SP2) - 10.0.4000.0 (X64) Sep 16 2010 19:43:16 <X64> (Build 7600: ) 

I get this error message:

The database cannot be opened because it is version 661. This server supports version 662 and earlier. the downstream path is not supported.

Any idea why? and how to solve it?

Answer 1

SQL Server 2008 databases are version 655. SQL Server 2008 R2 databases are 661. You are trying to attach a 2008 R2 database (version 661) to a 2008 instance, and this is not supported. After upgrading the database to version 2008 R2, it cannot be overestimated. You will either have to upgrade the instance of SP2 2008 to R2, or you need to copy the data from this database to the 2008 database (for example, using the data migration wizard or something similar).

The message is misleading, say, 662, because SQL Server 2008 SP2 supports 662 as the database version, this is when 15,000 partitions are included in the database, see Support for 15000 Partitions.docx . Enabling support leads to the failure of the DB version to 662; disabling it leads to 655. But SQL Server 2008 SP2 does not support 661 (version R2).

Answer 2

To clarify, the database created in SQL Server 2008 R2 was opened on an instance of SQL Server 2008 (version prior to R2). The solution for me was to simply install the SQL Server 2008 R2 update. I can only speak for the Express edition, but it worked.

Oddly enough, the Web Platform installer indicated that I had Express R2 installed. The best way to tell is to ask the database server itself:

 SELECT @@VERSION