The backend version is not supported for developing database diagrams or tables.

Question

I am trying to add a table to my newly created database through SQL Server Management Studio. However, I get an error message:

The backend version is not supported for developing charts or database tables.

To see my installed versions, I clicked on SSMS and this is what happened:

What is wrong here?

Answer 1

This is usually reported as an error due to using the wrong version of SSMS (Sql Server Management Studio). Use the version designed for your version of the database. You can use the select @@version command to check which version of sql server you are actually using. This version is described in such a way that it is easier to interpret than shown in the SSMS Help.

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Using a newer version of SSMS than your database is usually error-free, that is, backward compatible.

Answer 2

I ran into this problem when the SQL Server 2014 standard was installed on a server where SQL Server Express was also installed. I opened SSMS from the desktop shortcut, not immediately realizing that it was SSMS for SQL Server Express, and not for 2014. SSMS for Express returned an error, but SQL Server 2014 did not.

Answer 3

I had the same problem, although I solved it by creating a table using a script query instead of a graphical one. See below:

 USE [Database_Name] GO CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Table_Name]( [tableID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL, [column_2] [datatype] NOT NULL, [column_3] [datatype] NOT NULL, CONSTRAINT [PK_Table_Name] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED ( [tableID] ASC ) ) 

Answer 4

You receive this message only if you are trying to use a constructor or diagrams. If you use t-SQL, it works fine:

 Select * into newdb.dbo.newtable from olddb.dbo.yourtable 

where olddb.dbo.yourtable was created in 2008 exactly the same way you want the table to be in 2012