Error message when you try to create a new subscription in SQL Server Express: "Invalid column name 'step

SYMPTOMS

Consider the following scenario. You upgrade an instance of Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE) 1.0 or an instance of SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000) to SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (SQL Server Express). On the upgraded instance, you try to create a new subscription by using one of the following methods:

In SQL Server Management Studio, you use the New Subscription Wizard that remotely connects to the instance of SQL Server Express.
You use Replication Management Objects (RMO) or you use Transact-SQL stored procedures if the subscription is enabled for Microsoft Windows Synchronization Manager.

In this scenario, you may receive the following error message:

Server: Msg 207, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_MSupgrade_subdb_security_metadata, Line 162 Invalid column name 'step_uid'.

There are other scenarios where you may experience similar symptoms, such as attaching or restoring a replicated database from an instance of MSDE to an instance of SQL Server Express.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because the msdb database is not upgraded when you upgrade from MSDE to SQL Server Express. Replication or subscription in SQL Server Express expects the upgraded schema for the msdb database, but no match can be found.

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

913089 How to obtain the latest service pack for SQL Server 2005

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Service Pack 1.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about replication in SQL Server Express, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library(d=robot)/ms165686.aspx