If you'd like to upgrade a SQL Express instance to a SQL Standard instance via an in place upgrade, it's nice and easy to do through the inbuilt wizard within the SQL Setup GUI.
- Select Edition Upgrade from the Maintenance menu
- Click Next
- Enter the SQL product key
- Accept the license terms
- Select the required instance (Usually MSSQLSERVER)
- Click Next
- Click Upgrade
- Upgrade Complete!
- Run the following query to confirm the upgrade worked.
Select @@version
- You should get an output stating the following. Look for the Standard Edition identifier
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (RTM) - 10.50.1617.0 (Intel X86) Apr 22 2011 11:57:00 Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation Standard Edition on Windows NT 5.2 <X86> (Build 3790: Service Pack 2)