Although you already have VS2008 SP1 installed.

Fix:

start -> run -> "cmd"

Setup /ACTION=install /SkipRules=VSShellInstalledRule

you will still get an error but it installs fine.

The SQL Server 2008 installer is checking the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DevDiv\XXX\Servicing\9.0\SP reg keys to tell if SP1 is installed. If you inspect those keys and find any SP keys with the value “0,” that is your road block.

Best way to do it is as follows:

create function dbo.throwError()
returns nvarchar(max)
as
begin
    return cast('Error here.' as int);
end

and it will throw the following error:

Msg 245, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
Conversion failed when converting the varchar value 'Error here.' to data type int.

 Trying to rename a database or taking it offline?
Getting the following 2 errors:

Msg 5061, Level 16, State 1, Line xxx

ALTER DATABASE failed because a lock could not be placed on database 'dbname'. Try again later.

Msg 952, ...
Database is in transition ...

Here is the solution:

The following will find the processes that prevents you from modifying the database. 

SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY(LOCALSERVER, 'EXEC sp_who') WHERE dbname = 'HIV_STI_DataWarehouse'

The Following will find and kill the locking processes on a database ... change 'HIV_STI_DataWarehouse' to your database name

USE master

GO 

SET NOCOUNT ON

DECLARE @DatabaseName varchar(50)

DECLARE @DynamicSQL varchar(8000)

DECLARE @KillCount smallint

SET @KillCount=0

SET @DynamicSQL = '' 

Set @DatabaseName = 'HIV_STI_DataWarehouse'

IF db_id(@DatabaseName) < 4

BEGIN

PRINT 'Target cannot be a system database'

RETURN

END

SELECT @DynamicSQL=coalesce(@DynamicSQL,',' )+'kill '+convert(varchar, spid)+ '; '

FROM master..sysprocesses

WHERE dbid=db_id(@DatabaseName) 

PRINT(@DynamicSQL)

IF LEN(@DynamicSQL) > 0

BEGIN

EXEC(@DynamicSQL)

SELECT @KillCount = COUNT(1) FROM master..sysprocesses

WHERE dbid=db_id(@DatabaseName)

END