SQL Server 2005 Developer and AdventureWorks on Vista

I had a problem getting the AdventureWorks sample database that I installed to run under Vista RC1. SQL Server Management Studio kept reporting an error when I tried to access either the AdventureWorks or AdventureWorksDW databases. To get around this, I discovered that I needed to add my Windows user account to the sysadmin server role. After doing this, I was able to access both databases.

On a side note, I can't get SQL Server 2005 SP1 to install. It keeps prompting with a dialog box reading "Error performing inpage operation" regardless of whether or not I run the installer as administrator. Looks like I'm stuck waiting for SQL Server 2005 SP2 for this to work right.

Getting Virtual Server 2005 R2 to work under Vista

I found an excellent post discussing how to make Virtual Server 2005 work on Vista, but the key thing that helped me was changing the authentication on the VirtualServer virtual directory to Basic Authentication (it was originally Anonymous Authentication). This prevented me from having to run IE as an administrator.

Update 16 Oct: after moving my VMs back to my machine, I discovered that the basic auth enabled me to start the machines and use the virtual machine web site, but when I tried the ActiveX control to actually control the machines, it would not accept my user account when prompting for the remote control. Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 beta 2 did not help. I ended up going back to Windows integrated security for the VirtualServer virtual directory and doing a "Run as Administrator" on IE before browsing to the administration website.