Intro ===============
I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium with Service Pack 1 installed.
I cannot find the "MS SQL Server Compact" on the "Choose Data Source" dialog that appears when I click on the "Connect To Database" button in the "Server Explorer" panel of Visual Studio Community 2013.
My Setup ============
For starters, I'll admit to being a little confused about the varieties of Visual Studio. I have previously had my own copy of ms Expression, vs2010, & vs2012 installed. Recently, without removing vs2012, I installed, first vs2015 Express RC, and then vs2013
community. While digging through my start button program list, I also discovered VS2012 Express, which I don't recall installing. There is also the possibility that VS2013 Express is on the system. So, apparently, I have multiple versions installed.
Though, I don't know if this makes a difference, I have WAMP with ver 5.6.17 of MySQL installed.
The Problem =========
While attempting to follow a Lynda.com tutorial that uses VS 2013 Community, I needed to set up a data connection for MS SQL Server Compact, but was not able to find it.
I searched the web and found that it was downloadable from,
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17876
I downloaded the 64 bit version, SSCERuntime_x64-ENU.exe, but was not permitted to install it because
"A Later version of Microsoft SQL Server Compact is already installed."
The Questions =======
1. How do I get SQL Server Compact to be usable from within VS2013 Community?
2. Is Community a superset of the other express visual studios? If so, can I safely remove the express versions? Also, is VS Community a trial piece of software that will "expire" after a while?
3. With the exception of vs2012, in which I have my XNA projects -- this was difficult to set up and I don't want to lose the ability to compile them -- can I remove all versions except the lastest, VS2015 Express RC, and still have all the same functionality
of its predecessors?