SQL CE missing from VS 2008

[David Veeneman]

Until recently, I am pretty sure I could access SQL CE databases in
the VS 2008 Server Explorer. I thought the Add Connection dialog had
SQL CE 3.5 as a data source. But it is not there now. I have run
'Repair' on VS 2008 and reinstalled SP1. I have even reinstalled SQL
CE 3.5 (SP1). But there is still no SQL CE data source.

Has this happened to anyone else? Does anyone know what's going on?
Thanks for your help.

[David Veeneman]

Found my answer.

Neither VS 2008 SP1 nor SQL CE 3.5 SP1 installs the SQL CE Design
Tools (SSCEVSTools-ENU.msi) that are required to use SQL CE in VS 2008
design mode. That's worth a couple of aspirin.

And the design tools are apparently not available separately for
download. It seems you can only get them from an SP1 DVD. That's worth
a couple more aspirin.

To get the design tools, I had to download the ISO image version of VS
2008 SP1, burn a DVD ROM from the ISO image, then locate SSCEVSTools-
ENU.msi on the DVD that I burned. I ran that installer file, and it
solved the problem. SQL CE is back in VS 2008.

A real exercise in frustration. Thanks, Microsoft!

Info on design tools: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa983341.aspx