If you want to install and configure SharePoint 2010 in a standalone environment, but you do not want to use SQL Express and/or if you it to run in a workgroup environment, by default SharePoint 2010 configuration wizard will not allow you to do that. There is a way to get around this limitation though:
- Open SharePoint 2010 management shell, (you can find it at the same location as the SharePoint Central Administration link)
- Type in New-SPConfigurationDatabase to create new SharePoint configuration database manually
- Enter the name of the new SharePoint configuration database and hit Enter
- Enter the credentials that you want to use to create new SharePoint configuration database. Enter the password for those credentials when you get prompted to type in a passphrase and hit Enter. Your new SharePoint configuration database will now be created, just wait a few seconds/minutes.
- Run SharePoint configuration wizard, select Do not disconnect from this SharePoint farm option and continue with the configuration...