The backend version is not supported to design database diagrams or tables

JensOlsen picture JensOlsen · Aug 5, 2014 · Viewed 193.9k times · Source

I'm trying to add a table to my newly created database through SQL Server Management Studio. However I get the error:

the backend version is not supported to design database diagrams or tables

To see my currently installed versions I clicked about in SSMS and this is what came up:

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What's wrong here?

Answer

Gary Walker picture Gary Walker · Aug 5, 2014

This is commonly reported as an error due to using the wrong version of SSMS(Sql Server Management Studio). Use the version designed for your database version. You can use the command select @@version to check which version of sql server you are actually using. This version is reported in a way that is easier to interpret than that shown in the Help About in SSMS.


Using a newer version of SSMS than your database is generally error-free, i.e. backward compatible.