Long time user of RedGate SQL Toolbelt Essentials. Have been current on product in relation to using SSMS 20. Updated on 3/27/2025 to latest and greatest SQL Toolbelt Essentials. Tried to install the SSMS 21 Preview today and it said it must be installed into an empty directory into “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 21\Preview”. I was like, I have yet to install the SSMS 21 preview yet, so I was confused. Found that SQL Toolbelt Essentials has preloaded the product definition files there assumably for SSMS 21 to use them but It could not install because the directory was not empty.
A chicken and the egg issue.
My solution was to delete the contents under “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 21\Preview” but now trying to get that back and seem to now have to uninstall a SQL Toolbelt Essentials product to get it to reinstall.
I suggest making the SQL Toolbelt Essentials installer a bit smarter to not put the files there unless SSMS is actually installed and then have an option to install support for SSMS 21 Preview and assumably the final release.
Long time user of RedGate SQL Toolbelt Essentials. Have been current on product in relation to using SSMS 20. Updated on 3/27/2025 to latest and greatest SQL Toolbelt Essentials. Tried to install the SSMS 21 Preview today and it said it must be installed into an empty directory into “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 21\Preview”. I was like, I have yet to install the SSMS 21 preview yet, so I was confused. Found that SQL Toolbelt Essentials has preloaded the product definition files there assumably for SSMS 21 to use them but It could not install because the directory was not empty.
A chicken and the egg issue.
My solution was to delete the contents under “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 21\Preview” but now trying to get that back and seem to now have to uninstall a SQL Toolbelt Essentials product to get it to reinstall.
I suggest making the SQL Toolbelt Essentials installer a bit smarter to not put the files there unless SSMS is actually installed and then have an option to install support for SSMS 21 Preview and assumably the final release.