SSMS Connection

Hello,

I'm new to SQL Assistant and I have a quick question. Whenever I open a new SQL Server Management Studio window and start typing, it requests the connection information to the SQL Server. I use multiple SQL servers in different SSMS windows and this gets really annoying because it pops up in the middle of my typing. According to the manual:

	Quote:
	When working with SQL Server Management Studio or SQL Server Management Studio Express that use SMO connections, SQL Assistant silently intercepts the existing connection and uses that connection to access SQL Server catalog tables and views.

From what I understand from this, it should automatically use the existing connection. Is there something that I'm missing?

Also, a small feature request. It would be really nice if the table data preview/sql code execute interface could automatically sort by clicking on a column header. This feature is in a competing product that I'm comparing yours too, and I sorely miss it.

Thanks for your help.

-Keith

Which version of SQL Assistant are you running? which version of SSMS?

I'm sorry, I meant to put that in the first post, but somehow I forgot. SQL Assistant version 3.5.30. SSMS 2005 9.00.3042.00. I believe I have SP2 installed. Thanks.

-Keith

Are you using Windows Vista by any chance?
Also, have you registered SQL Assistant add-on for SSMS or you are running it from systray?

Yes, I'm using Vista (x64). I'm not sure if it's "Registered." How can I check this? But it is running from the systray, if nothing else.

-Keith

1. Please open SQL Assistant options, on the target page navigate to MS Management Studio target, expand Advanced options on the right and verify "Register add-on" is set to True.

2. About Vista nasty implications: whenever you make any changes in the SQL Assistant settings or run SQL Assistant's install, make sure you do it in Administrator mode. I don't mean you have to login as a user with "Administrator" name, I mean that when you start the install or when run SSMS and make changes in the settings, you right-click on the shortcut and choose Run As Administrator. If you don't do that, Vista will attempt to virtualize your user settings, and any changes made in settings or created by the install, they all will be gone as soon as you log off from the system. The implication is that SQL Assistant will not find them next time you logon and will be unable to find the required settings and fully interact with SSMS and share database connections. The above applies to running Windows Vista only and to running SQL Assistant in RDP sessions on Win2003. Note that some changes have been made in version 4 to workaround these Vista quirks.

The bottom line, the appearance of the Connect dialog indicates problems with the settings, as a result causing it not to work correctly.

Register Add-on is set to true.

So, is there any way to fix this? Are you saying I need to run SSMS as Admin?

-Keith

Yes, currently Vista runs it as a low privileged user, regardless of how you login to the system, erasing all registry and file settings needed for SQL Assistant. To avoid this, modify the shortcut for SSMS, which you are using to start SSMS, and check Run As Admin option. After you restart SSMS in that mode, right –click in the SSMS editor, using the right-click menu, navigate to SQL Assistant branch in the menu, then click Options, then set the Register Add-on to False, click the Apply button and then set it back to True, and Apply again. This will make it to recreate the required registry settings. Restart SSMS after that change and you should be ok.

By the way, take a look at this message thread http://www.softtreetech.com/support/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22476

Thanks, this seems to fix it as long as I continue to run SSMS as Administrator. Will 4.0 allow me to run it as a low privileged user and avoid the pop-up? I'm not a big fan of overriding the security or having to click "Allow" in the escalation window every time I open it. Do you have any idea about how soon 4.0 will be out, or is it possible to get a copy of the beta? Thanks.

-Keith

The new release is planned for next week. Sorry, but the beta program was closed at the end of last week and it cannot be downloaded anymore.

As for the "escalation window" the problem is caused by Vista undoing your changes without your permissions. From my point of view it would be ok if the settings were undone at the end of your Windows session and then restored when you log on back, but guess what, Vista doesn't do that.

I see that the home page has been updated with the new 4.0 version, but when I try to download it, I get a "No such file or directory" error referencing sqlassist_setup2.exe (i.e. it won't download). Is the site still in the process of being updated?

-Keith

Please try one more time. The web server was recently updated and at that time some files were unavailable.

Works now, thanks.

-Keith