How to Install SQL Server (Developer & Express) Step by Step

SQL Server download: Developer vs Express vs Evaluation

The SQL Server downloads page offers SQL Server 2025 in several free forms. They run the same engine but differ in licence and limits, so choose before you download.

Which one for learning SQL?

For a course or practice database, either Enterprise Developer or Express works. Developer editions remove the Express limits, which matters little for small practice data; Express uses fewer resources and is the one to choose if the database might later serve real users. The Express vs Developer comparison covers the trade-off, and the related SQL Server Express guide covers Express limits and upgrades in depth. SQL Server 2025 split the old single Developer edition into Standard Developer and Enterprise Developer; Web edition is discontinued.

Older versions. Searches for a SQL Server 2022 or 2019 download are common because applications name a version. On 8 October 2026 the downloads page led with SQL Server 2025. Microsoft's lifecycle table lists mainstream support for SQL Server 2022 until 2028 and for SQL Server 2019 until 2025, so install an older version only when your application requires it. Container images remain available for both (for example the 2022-latest tag).

Before installing SQL Server: requirements and checks

Microsoft's SQL Server 2025 requirements for Windows:

• Operating system: Windows 10 or later, or Windows Server 2019 or later. Microsoft's table lists Enterprise as not supported on Windows 10 and 11 client versions, while Standard and Express are.
• Processor: x64 only, 1.4 GHz minimum.
• Memory: 1 GB minimum and at least 4 GB recommended (512 MB and 1 GB for Express).
• Disk: at least 6 GB free on the system drive, even if you install to another drive.
• .NET Framework 4.7.2.

Two documented causes of failed installs are worth checking first. Microsoft warns that on Windows Server 2022 or later there must be no pending restarts, so restart Windows before running setup. Setup also fails if you launch it through Remote Desktop with the media on a local drive of the Remote Desktop client; the media must be on the target machine or a network share. You must run setup as an administrator.

Installing SQL Server on Windows, step by step

The download for Developer or Express is a small installer that fetches the setup files. Choosing the custom route opens the SQL Server Installation Center, where Microsoft's Installation Wizard documentation lists these pages:

1. Installation: select New SQL Server standalone installation or add features to an existing installation.
2. Edition: under Specify a free edition, choose the Developer or Evaluation edition, or enter a product key for a paid edition.
3. License Terms: select I accept the license terms and Privacy Statement.
4. Global Rules, Microsoft Update, Product Updates, Install Setup Files and Install Rules: setup checks the computer and can include the latest critical updates. Select a failed rule in the Status column for details.
5. Azure Extension for SQL Server: selected by default in SQL Server 2025; clear it to install without connecting to Azure.
6. Feature Selection: select Database Engine Services. By default nothing is selected. Add other features only if you need them.
7. Instance Configuration: a default instance is called MSSQLSERVER and is reached by the computer name alone; a named instance is reached as computer\instance. If a default instance already exists, you must install a named instance.
8. Server Configuration: service accounts and startup type. Microsoft recommends separate, least-privilege accounts per service. The option to grant Perform Volume Maintenance Task enables instant file initialisation.
9. Database Engine Configuration: choose Windows Authentication or Mixed Mode (which needs a strong sa password) and select Add Current User so you are a sysadmin. The MaxDOP and Memory tabs offer automatically calculated recommended values.
10. Ready to Install, Installation Progress, then Complete: a Successful status and a link to the summary log. Restart if asked.

For repeatable installs, Microsoft documents unattended setup from the command prompt (setup.exe /q /ACTION=Install with parameters such as /FEATURES=SQL and /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS) and installation from a configuration file.

Installing SQL Server on Linux, or using Docker instead

SQL Server 2025 runs on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu; SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is not supported for 2025. Microsoft's Ubuntu quickstart targets Ubuntu 22.04, with 24.04 supported from SQL Server 2025 CU1, and needs at least 2 GB of memory. After adding Microsoft's package repository, you install the mssql-server package and run mssql-conf setup, which asks for the edition and the sa password. Evaluation, Developer and Express are the free choices there.

There is no native macOS version. On a Mac, or when you want a disposable instance on any machine, a container is the documented alternative; Microsoft notes that the container images are supported only on Intel and AMD x86-64 hosts. See the SQL Server in Docker guide listed under related guides below.

curl -fsSL https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft-prod.gpg
curl -fsSL https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/22.04/mssql-server-2025.list | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mssql-server-2025.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y mssql-server
sudo /opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf setup
systemctl status mssql-server --no-pager

Connect and run your first query

SQL Server setup does not include a graphical tool. Install SQL Server Management Studio 22 from Microsoft (a vs_SSMS.exe stub that uses the Visual Studio Installer), or use the MSSQL extension for VS Code. In the SSMS Connect to Server dialog, enter localhost for a default instance or localhost\<instance-name> for a named one, keep Windows Authentication, and select Connect. Microsoft notes the Encrypt option defaults to Mandatory; on a local install with a self-signed certificate, tick Trust Server Certificate.

From a command prompt, sqlcmd uses Windows Authentication by default. Once connected, open a new query and run the statements below; in sqlcmd, type GO on its own line to run them.

sqlcmd -S <ComputerName>
sqlcmd -S .\<InstanceName>

SELECT @@VERSION;
CREATE DATABASE TestDB;
GO
USE TestDB;
CREATE TABLE Inventory (id INT, name NVARCHAR(50), quantity INT);
INSERT INTO Inventory VALUES (1, 'banana', 150), (2, 'orange', 154);
SELECT * FROM Inventory WHERE quantity > 152;
GO

Common SQL Server installation errors and fixes

• A rule fails during setup. Select the failed rule for its message. A pending restart is the documented case to rule out first: restart Windows and run setup again.
• Setup ends with a failure. Open Summary.txt in %programfiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\<nnn>\Setup Bootstrap\Log; the dated subfolder holds Detail.txt with the full trace.
• The instance is installed but broken. In the Installation Center select Maintenance, then Repair. For Express, Microsoft notes you need the offline installer: run the Express installer, choose Download Media, and use that package instead of setup.exe.
• Not sure what got installed. Run the Installed SQL Server features discovery report from the Tools page of the Installation Center, or Setup.exe /Action=RunDiscovery.
• Cannot connect afterwards. For "server not found" see error 53; for refused connections see error 10061; for "Login failed for user" see error 18456. Remote clients also need the firewall opened: TCP 1433 for a default instance, and UDP 1434 for the SQL Server Browser when you use named instances.

Once it works, keep the instance patched. Microsoft publishes cumulative updates for SQL Server 2025; on 8 October 2026 the latest was CU9 (17.0.5005.3), released 15 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Microsoft SQL Server downloads
• Microsoft Learn: Editions and supported features of SQL Server 2025
• Microsoft Learn: What's new in SQL Server 2025
• Microsoft Learn: SQL Server 2025 hardware and software requirements
• Microsoft Learn: Installation guidance for SQL Server on Windows
• Microsoft Learn: Install SQL Server from the Installation Wizard
• Microsoft Learn: Install SQL Server on Ubuntu (quickstart)
• Microsoft Learn: SQL Server on Linux overview
• Microsoft Learn: Install SQL Server Management Studio
• Microsoft Learn: Connect and query SQL Server with SSMS
• Microsoft Learn: Use sqlcmd
• Microsoft Learn: View and read SQL Server Setup log files
• Microsoft Learn: Repair a failed SQL Server installation
• Microsoft Learn: Validate a SQL Server installation
• Microsoft Learn: Configure the Windows Firewall for SQL Server
• Microsoft Learn: Latest updates for SQL Server
• Microsoft Learn: SQL Server end of support overview
• Microsoft Learn: Run SQL Server Linux container images with Docker

Checked 8 October 2026.

How we research guides: our editorial method. We link only to official downloads and never host installers.