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Installing BarTender 2021 With Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025

Jarryd Bailey

BarTender Content Team

  • Updated

Overview

Due to the removal of PowerShell 2.0 from Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025 in August 2025, the SQL Server Express 2014 component of the BarTender 2021 R9 installer will no longer support installations of BarTender 2021 R9.

While it's still possible to work around the problem, in a standard installation, BarTender 2021 R9 cannot be installed to Windows 11 24H2 and higher. The screenshot below shows the message pop-up. Choosing Don't show this message again only hides the warning. The installation will always fail.

This article provides a few methods to work around this issue, allowing you to install BarTender 2021 on these two operating systems.

Applicable to 

BarTender 2021 R1-R9

Windows 11 24H2 and later

Windows Server 2025 and later

Information

Update to a Newer Version of BarTender

The preferred method for alleviating this issue is to permanently install a newer version of BarTender that doesn't require SQL Server Express 2014, such as BarTender 2022 R8 or BarTender 11.x (BarTender 11.4 and later).

For both these versions, SQL Server Express 2019 will be installed instead, which doesn't rely on PowerShell 2.0.

Update to a Newer Version, Then Revert

If you need to remain on BarTender 2021:

  1. Update to BarTender 2022 or BarTender 11.x as mentioned in the section above. Make sure SQL Server Express 2019 is installed alongside BarTender.
  2. Uninstall BarTender 2022/11.x.
  3. Install BarTender 2021.

The BarTender 2021 installer will see the existing SQL Server Express 2019 installation and skip the installation of SQL Server Express 2014.

Preinstall SQL Server Express 2019

In lieu of using the BarTender 2022/11.x installer, you can download and install SQL Server Express 2019 independently before installing BarTender 2021.

Once complete, you can install BarTender 2021 normally. The installer will recognize the existing SQL Server Express 2019 installation.

Don't Use SQL Server Express at All

Please note that this option will prevent you from utilizing the BarTender System Database.

You can choose to opt out of installing any version of SQL Server Express during the installation of BarTender 2021:

  1. When the BarTender 2021 installer starts, check the Specify advanced installation options box and click Next.
  2. Make sure the Add Microsoft SQL Server Express box is unchecked before clicking Install.

Additional Resources

Microsoft - PowerShell 2.0 Removal From Windows

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