Manual database installation

The MSSQL Server Express 2005 installer packaged with the toolset is one of the more common sources of installation failure. If other troubleshooting techniques fail, you may wish to install it manually as a separate step from toolset installation. This could also allow you to substitute different versions of the SQL server (note that BioWare has only specifically tested the toolset with the 2005 Express version).

Installing SQL Express 2005

First, download the SQL Express 2005 installer. You can find it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/Sqlserver/2005/en/us/express.aspx

Run SQLEXPR32.exe and accept all of the default options that it presents to you throughout the install process. You may wish to give your SQL server a name other than default during this step (the toolset installer uses the name "BWDATOOLSET" by default).

Installing SQL Server Management Studio Express

The bare install of SQL Express 2005 relies on the command line for most of its configuration and management. To provide a more powerful and user-friendly GUI, Microsoft has supplied the free application SQL Server Management Studio Express. Download it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=C243A5AE-4BD1-4E3D-94B8-5A0F62BF7796

Install the management studio, again picking the default options presented through the install process.

Creating bw_dragonage_content

Once you've got Management Studio installed, create a new database instance named bw_dragonage_content.

Next you'll need to restore the .bak file that comes with your toolset in order to load the data from it into your database. This file can be found here:

C:\Program Files\Dragon Age\tools\DatabaseUtilities\bw_dragonage_content_blank.bak

(This backup file is a completely blank database, without any core resources in it. Use the core DADBDATA file to load those in via the builder to builder process once the toolset is operational).

To restore a database backup using Management Studio Express:

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  Select "restore database"

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  Choose the .bak file as the source for your database restoration

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  Check the "overwrite existing database" option under the options menu

Configuring the toolset to use this database

In the tools folder is a program called ConfigureToolset.exe. Run this and click "next" until you get to the database connection screen:

This is where you'll select the database that the toolset uses.

The ConfigureToolset application currently (as of 1.00) doesn't set a registry entry that the toolset also needs in order to find the database properly. You'll need to set this manually. The key you'll need to update is:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\BioWare\Dragon Age\Toolset\Environment

Change it to match the database line produced by the configuration tool in the previous step. For example, the value in a default installation of the toolset is:

Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Integrated Security=SSPI;Persist Security Info=False;Initial Catalog=bw_dragonage_content;Data Source=.\\BWDATOOLSET