How to: Install SQL Server Compact Edition on a Device
If you use Microsoft Visual Studio to build a .NET application that uses Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (SQL Server Compact Edition), the first time that you deploy the application to a device, the SQL Server Compact Edition engine is automatically installed on the device. You can also install SQL Server Compact Edition to a device by manually copying the .cab files to the device. If you are building a native application, you must manually copy the .cab files.
To manually install SQL Server Compact Edition on a device
Install the .NET Compact Framework on the device. Copy the NETCFv2.<platform>.<processor>.cab file to your device from the following directory:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\ SmartDevices\SDK\CompactFramework\2.0\v2.0\WindowsCE \<platform>\<processor>\
On the device, click the .cab file to install the .NET Compact Framework.
Copy the sqlce30.platform.processor.cab and sqlce30.repl.platform.processor.cab files to your device from the following directory:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\SmartDevices\SDK\SQL Server\Mobile\v3.0\<platform>\<processor>\
Note
You only need to install sqlce30.repl.platform.processor.cab if your application uses merge replication or remote data access.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Install Query Analyzer (SQL Server Compact Edition)
Concepts
Installing and Deploying on a Device (SQL Server Compact Edition)
Other Resources
Installing SQL Server Compact Edition