[thelist] extracting data from a MS SQL database back-up file (OT?)

[Brian Cummiskey]

rogerharness at comcast.net wrote:
> Honestly I'm pretty clueless with Window's servers. I tried to download and install the simplelest Windows Server application I could find, which I thought was Microsoft SQL Server 2005. And I *think* when I downloaded it, it said something about "Express".
>   
SQL Express should be fine.   its basically the 'free' version.
> But now I still can't do anything with my back-up file! I don't even know how to start the MS SQL Server, or what to do once I get it going. I was hoping it would be similar to PHPMyAdmin where I could easily manage the data/etc, but I am not having any luck.
>   

SQL server itself (for the most part) runs as a SERVICE, not an 
application so to speak.

For the 'phpmyadmin-like' tool, check this out:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms174173.aspx