Why the Full-Text indexing option is greyed out?

Question

I installed SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services, but when I try to create a new database, the option Full-Text indexing is greyed out, I believe the full-text indexing has been installed, because I did a query as below:

use [mydbname]
select fulltextserviceproperty('isfulltextinstalled')

This query returns 1, so I think it has been successfully installed.

Full-text indexing is supported in MSSQL Express with Advanced Services edition, which I have installed. Page for reference:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=B5D1B8C3-FDA5-4508-B0D0-1311D670E336&displaylang=en

Answer 1

The following list highlights the major SQL Server components that are not supported in SQL Server Express:

• Reporting Services
• Notification Services
• Integration Services
• Analysis Services
• Full text search
• OLAP Services / Data Mining

From: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165636.aspx

Answer 2

Is the service started? I think a default install of 2008 Express has FTS stopped.

In 2005 Express (IIRC) you had to make the catalogs manually, rather than through managmement studio; you could try that and see if you get an error:

use MyDatabaseName
go
EXEC sp_fulltext_database 'enable'
go
CREATE FULLTEXT CATALOG MyFullTextCatalog

If you need to manually create the indexes you can do something like:

CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX ON MyDatabaseName.dbo.MyTableToSearch
(
MySearchColumn
Language 1033
)
KEY INDEX MyCurrentIndex;

Answer 3

The page here gives information on how to confirm that you've installed full-text with the SQL Server install as well as steps to install it after the fact.

This page has a decent walk-through of setting it all up.

Also, make sure that the service is running.

Hopefully one of them will point you in the right direction.

Answer 4

Coincidentally I was just reading a performance guide for FTS in SQL 2008 and came across this:

The New Database dialog box in Management Studio has an option grayed out. Just below the name and owner there is a grayed out check box. In the released version of SQL Server 2008 the full text options are on by default. This was left in place in case any customers had references to it in scripts.

So it looks like it's greyed out on purpose :)

Answer 5

Make sure NAMED PIPES is enabled in the protocols in configuration manager as full text service needs this!

Answer 6

You can view all the full text enabled value for each DB with this code:

select name, DATABASEPROPERTY(name,'IsFulltextEnabled')
from master..sysdatabases where dbid > 4

Pollus