Can the size of this SQL Server Express 2008 R2 installation (for client) be minimized more?

Question

I want to deploy my application with an instance of SQL Server Express 2008 R2, the installation file is about 100 MB but after installed on the target computer, its final size is about 500 MB, it's too large for client's machine. I installed it using command line and limited the feature to only 'SQLEngine' (not full installation), but it still grows up to 500 MB, I don't think to run the most basic tasks including SELECT, CREATE, DELETE, INSERT, UPDATE and some others it has to be so large?

Could you help me with your experience on how to deploy an instance of SQL Server Express 2008 R2 (I love its 10 GB limit in size) that the size after installing is as small as possible but still runs the most basic services to help my deployed application work. Please note that I've tried installing only the feature 'SQLEngine' and I wonder if it is the best choice???

Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

From the documentation here, it looks unlikely that you'll get much saving. It's possibly related to the need for .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 in certain cases too.