SQL Server installation guide

Applies to: SQL Server (all supported versions) — Windows only

This article is an index of content that provides guidance for installing SQL Server on Windows.

For other deployment scenarios, see:

Beginning with SQL Server 2016 (13.x), SQL Server is only available as a 64-bit application. Here are important details about how to get SQL Server and how to install it.

Getting started

Editions and features: Review the supported features for the different editions and versions of SQL Server to determine which best suits your business needs.

Requirements: Review hardware and software installation requirements for SQL Server 2016 & 2017, SQL Server 2019 or SQL Server on Linux, as well as system configuration checks, and security considerations in Planning a SQL Server Installation

Sample databases and sample code:

• They are not installed as part of SQL Server setup by default but can be found
• To install them for non-Express editions of SQL Server, see the Where are samples

Installation media

The download location for SQL Server depends on the edition:

• SQL Server Enterprise, Standard, and Express Editions are licensed for production use. For the Enterprise and Standard Editions, contact your software vendor for the installation media. You can find purchasing information and a directory of Microsoft partners on the Microsoft licensing page.
• If you have a volume licensing agreement, for example an Enterprise Agreement, you can download software from the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC).
• Free version — latest.
• Free version — others.

Other SQL Server components can be found here:

Considerations

Installation fails if you launch setup through Remote Desktop Connection with the media on a local resource in the RDC client. To install remotely the media must be on a network share or local to the physical or virtual machine. SQL Server installation media may be either on a network share, a mapped drive, a local drive, or presented as an ISO to a virtual machine.

SQL Server Setup installs the following software components required by the product:

• SQL Server Native Client
• SQL Server Setup support files

Install Server with Desktop Experience

Applies To: Windows Server 2016

When you install Windows Server 2016 using the Setup wizard, you can choose between Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server (Server with Desktop Experience). The Server with Desktop Experience option is the Windows Server 2016 equivalent of the Full installation option available in Windows Server 2012 R2 with the Desktop Experience feature installed. If you do not make a choice in the Setup wizard, Windows Server 2016 is installed; this is the Server Core installation option.

The Server with Desktop Experience option installs the standard user interface and all tools, including client experience features that required a separate installation in Windows Server 2012 R2. Server roles and features are installed with Server Manager or by other methods. Compared with the Server Core option, it requires more space on disk,and has higher servicing requirements, so we recommend that you choose the Server Core installation unless you have a particular need for the additional user interface elements and graphical management tools that are included in the Server with Desktop Experience option. If you feel you can work without the additional elements, see Install Server Core. For an even more lightweight option, see Install Nano Server.

Unlike some previous releases of Windows Server, you cannot convert between Server Core and Server with Desktop Experience after installation. If you install Server with Desktop Experience and later decide to use Server Core, you should do a fresh installation.

User interface: standard graphical user interface (Server Graphical Shell). The Server Graphical Shell includes the new Windows 10 shell. The specific Windows features installed by default with this option are User-Interfaces-Infra, Server-GUI-Shell, Server-GUI-Mgmt-Infra, InkAndHandwritingServices, ServerMediaFoundation and Desktop Experience. While these features do appear in Server Manager in this release, uninstalling them is not supported and they will not be available in future releases.

Install, configure, uninstall server roles locally: with Server Manager or with Windows PowerShell

Install, configure, uninstall server roles remotely: with Server Manager, Remote Server, RSAT, or Windows PowerShell

Microsoft Management Console: installed

Installation scenarios

Evaluation

You can obtain a 180-day-licensed evaluation copy of Windows Server from Windows Server Evaluations. Choose the Windows Server 2016 | 64-bit ISO option to download, or you can visit the Windows Server 2016 | Virtual Lab.

For releases of Windows Server 2016 prior to 14393.0.161119-1705.RS1_REFRESH, you can only perform this conversion from evaluation to retail with Windows Server 2016 that has been installed by using the Desktop Experience option (not the Server Core option). Starting with version 14393.0.161119-1705.RS1_REFRESH and later releases, you can convert evaluation editions to retail regardless of the installation option used.

Clean installation

To install the Server with Desktop Experience installation option from the media, insert the media in a drive, restart the computer, and run Setup.exe. In the wizard that opens, select Windows Server (Server with Desktop Experience) (Standard or Datacenter), and then complete the wizard.

Upgrade

Upgrade means moving from your existing operating system release to a more recent release while staying on the same hardware.

If you already have a Full installation of the appropriate Windows Server product, you can upgrade it to a Server with Desktop Experience installation of the appropriate edition of Windows Server 2016, as indicated below.

In this release, upgrade works best in virtual machines where specific OEM hardware drivers are not needed for a successful upgrade. Otherwise, migration is the recommended option.

• In-place upgrades from 32-bit to 64-bit architectures are not supported. All editions of Windows Server 2016 are 64-bit only.
• In-place upgrades from one language to another are not supported.
• If the server is a domain controller, see Upgrade Domain Controllers to Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 for important information.
• Upgrades from pre-release versions (previews) of Windows Server 2016 are not supported. Perform a clean installation to Windows Server 2016.
• Upgrades that switch from a Server Core installation to a Server with a Desktop installation (or vice versa) are not supported.

If you do not see your current version in the left column, upgrading to this release of Windows Server 2016 is not supported.

If you see more than one edition in the right column, upgrading to either edition from the same starting version is supported.

If you are running this edition:	You can upgrade to these editions:
Windows Server 2012 Standard	Windows Server 2016 Standard or Datacenter
Windows Server 2012 Datacenter	Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard	Windows Server 2016 Standard or Datacenter
Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter	Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials	Windows Server 2016 Essentials
Windows Storage Server 2012 Standard	Windows Storage Server 2016 Standard
Windows Storage Server 2012 Workgroup	Windows Storage Server 2016 Workgroup
Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 Standard	Windows Storage Server 2016 Standard
Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 Workgroup	Windows Storage Server 2016 Workgroup

For many additional options for moving to Windows Server 2016, such as license conversion among volume licensed editions, evaluation editions, and others, see details at Upgrade Options.

Migration

Migration means moving from your existing operating system to Windows Server 2016 by performing a clean installation on a different set of hardware or virtual machine and then transferring the older server’s workloads to the new server. Migration, which might vary considerably depending on the server roles you have installed, is discussed in detail at Windows Server Installation, Upgrade, and Migration.

The ability to migrate varies among different server roles. The following grid explains your server role upgrade and migration options specifically for moving to Windows Server 2016. For individual role migration guides, visit Migrating Roles and Features in Windows Server. For more information about installation and upgrades, see Windows Server Installation, Upgrade, and Migration.

Server Role	Upgradeable from Windows Server 2012 R2?	Upgradeable from Windows Server 2012?	Migration Supported?	Can migration be completed without downtime?
Active Directory Certificate Services	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Active Directory Domain Services	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Active Directory Federation Services	No	No	Yes	No (new nodes need to be added to the farm)
Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Active Directory Rights Management Services	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Failover Cluster	Yes with Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade process which includes node Pause-Drain, Evict, upgrade to Windows Server 2016 and rejoin the original cluster. Yes, when the server is removed by the cluster for upgrade and then added to a different cluster.	Not while the server is part of a cluster. Yes, when the server is removed by the cluster for upgrade and then added to a different cluster.	Yes	No for Windows Server 2012 Failover Clusters. Yes for Windows Server 2012 R2 Failover Clusters with Hyper-V VMs or Windows Server 2012 R2 Failover Clusters running the Scale-out File Server role. See Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade.
File and Storage Services	Yes	Yes	Varies by sub-feature	No
Print and Fax Services	No	No	Yes (Printbrm.exe)	No
Remote Desktop Services	Yes, for all sub-roles, but mixed mode farm is not supported	Yes, for all sub-roles, but mixed mode farm is not supported	Yes	No
Web Server (IIS)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Windows Server Essentials Experience	Yes	N/A – new feature	Yes	No
Windows Server Update Services	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Work Folders	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes from WS 2012 R2 cluster when using Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade.

Once Setup has completed and immediately after you have installed all of the server roles and features you need, check for and install updates available for Windows Server 2016 by using Windows Update or other update methods.

If you need a different installation option, or if you’ve completed installation and are ready to deploy specific workloads, you can head back to the main Windows Server 2016 page.

Windows Server installation and upgrade

Applies to: Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008

Extended support for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 ends in January 2020. Learn about your upgrade options.

Is it time to move to a newer version of Windows Server? Depending on what you are running now, you have lots of options to get there.

Installation

If you want to move to a newer version of Windows Server on the same hardware, one way that always works is a clean installation, where you just install the newer operating system directly over the old one on the same hardware, thus deleting the previous operating system. That is the simplest way, but you will need to back up your data first and plan to reinstall your applications. There are a few things to be aware of, such as system requirements, so be sure to check the details for Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012.

Moving from any pre-release version (such as Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview) to the released version (Windows Server 2016) always requires a clean installation.

Migration (recommended for Windows Server 2016)

Windows Server migration documentation helps you migrate one role or feature at a time from a source computer that is running Windows Server to another destination computer that is running Windows Server, either the same or a newer version. For these purposes, migration is defined as moving one role or feature and its data to a different computer, not upgrading the feature on the same computer. This is the recommended manner in which to move your existing workload and data to a more recent version of Windows Server. To get started, check the server role upgrade and migration matrix for Windows Server.

Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade

Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade is a new feature in Windows Server 2016 that enables an administrator to upgrade the operating system of the cluster nodes from Windows Server 2012 R2 to Windows Server 2016 without stopping the Hyper-V or the Scale-Out File Server workloads. This feature allows you to avoid downtime which could impact Service Level Agreements. This new feature is discussed in more detail at Cluster operating system rolling upgrade.

License Conversion

In some operating system releases, you can convert a particular edition of the release to another edition of the same release in a single step with a simple command and the appropriate license key. This is called license conversion. For example, if your server is running Windows Server 2016 Standard, you can convert it to Windows Server 2016 Datacenter. In some releases of Windows Server, you can also freely convert among OEM, volume-licensed, and retail versions with the same command and the appropriate key.

Upgrade

If you want to keep the same hardware and all the server roles you have set up without flattening the server, upgrading is an option—and there are lots of ways to do it. In the classic upgrade, you go from an older operating system to a newer one, keeping your settings, server roles, and data intact. For example, if your server is running Windows Server 2012 R2, you can upgrade it to Windows Server 2016. However, not every older operating system has a pathway to every newer one.

Upgrade works best in virtual machines where specific OEM hardware drivers are not needed for a successful upgrade.

You can upgrade from an evaluation version of the operating system to a retail version, from an older retail version to a newer version, or, in some cases, from a volume-licensed edition of the operating system to an ordinary retail edition.

Before you get started with an upgrade, have a look at the tables on this page to see how to get from where you are to where you want to be.

For information about the differences between the installation options available for Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview, including the features that are installed with each option and the management options available after installation, see Windows Server 2016.

Whenever you migrate or upgrade to any version of Windows Server, you should review and understand the support lifecycle policy and timeframe for that version and plan accordingly. You can search for the lifecycle information for the particular Windows Server release that you are interested in.

Upgrading to Windows Server 2016

For details, including important caveats and limitations on upgrade, license conversion between editions of Windows Server 2016, and conversion of evaluation editions to retail, see Supported Upgrade Paths for Windows Server 2016.

Note: Upgrades that switch from a Server Core installation to a Server with a Desktop installation (or vice versa) are not supported. If the older operating system you are upgrading or converting is a Server Core installation, the result will still be a Server Core installation of the newer operating system.

Quick reference table of supported upgrade paths from older Windows Server retail editions to Windows Server 2016 retail editions:

If you are running these versions and editions:	You can upgrade to these versions and editions:
Windows Server 2012 Standard	Windows Server 2016 Standard or Datacenter
Windows Server 2012 Datacenter	Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard	Windows Server 2016 Standard or Datacenter
Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter	Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
Hyper-V Server 2012 R2	Hyper-V Server 2016 (using Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade feature)
Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials	Windows Server 2016 Essentials
Windows Storage Server 2012 Standard	Windows Storage Server 2016 Standard
Windows Storage Server 2012 Workgroup	Windows Storage Server 2016 Workgroup
Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 Standard	Windows Storage Server 2016 Standard
Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 Workgroup	Windows Storage Server 2016 Workgroup

License conversion

You can convert Windows Server 2016 Standard (retail) to Windows Server 2016 Datacenter (retail).

You can convert Windows Server 2016 Essentials (retail) to Windows Server 2016 Standard (retail).

You can convert the evaluation version of Windows Server 2016 Standard to either Windows Server 2016 Standard (retail) or Datacenter (retail).

You can convert the evaluation version of Windows Server 2016 Datacenter to Windows Server 2016 Datacenter (retail).

Upgrading to Windows Server 2012 R2

For details, including important caveats and limitations on upgrade, license conversion between editions of Windows Server 2012 R2, and conversion of evaluation editions to retail, see Upgrade Options for Windows Server 2012 R2.

Quick reference table of supported upgrade paths from older Windows Server retail editions to Windows Server 2012 R2 retail editions:

If you are running:	You can upgrade to these editions:
Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Datacenter with SP1	Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Enterprise with SP1	Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard or Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Standard with SP1	Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard or Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
Windows Web ServerВ 2008В R2 with SP1	Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard
Windows Server 2012 Datacenter	Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
Windows Server 2012 Standard	Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard or Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
Hyper-V Server 2012	Hyper-V Server 2012 R2

License conversion

You can convert Windows Server 2012 Standard (retail) to Windows Server 2012 Datacenter (retail).

You can convert Windows Server 2012 Essentials (retail) to Windows Server 2012 Standard (retail).

You can convert the evaluation version of Windows Server 2012 Standard to either Windows Server 2012 Standard (retail) or Datacenter (retail).

Upgrading to Windows Server 2012

For details, including important caveats and limitations on upgrade, and conversion of evaluation editions to retail, see Evaluation Versions and Upgrade Options for Windows Server 2012.

Quick reference table of supported upgrade paths from older Windows Server retail editions to Windows Server 2012 retail editions:

If you are running:	You can upgrade to these editions:
Windows Server 2008 Standard with SP2 or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise with SP2	Windows Server 2012 Standard, Windows Server 2012 Datacenter
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter with SP2	Windows Server 2012 Datacenter
Windows Web Server 2008	Windows Server 2012 Standard
Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Standard with SP1 or Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Enterprise with SP1	Windows Server 2012 Standard, Windows Server 2012 Datacenter
Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 Datacenter with SP1	Windows Server 2012 Datacenter
Windows Web ServerВ 2008В R2	Windows Server 2012 Standard

License conversion

You can convert Windows Server 2012 Standard (retail) to Windows Server 2012 Datacenter (retail).

You can convert Windows Server 2012 Essentials (retail) to Windows Server 2012 Standard (retail).

You can convert the evaluation version of Windows Server 2012 Standard to either Windows Server 2012 Standard (retail) or Datacenter (retail).

Upgrading from Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008

As described in Upgrade Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, the extended support for Windows Server 2008 R2/Windows Server 2008 ends in January of 2020. To ensure no gap in support, you need to upgrade to a supported version of Windows Server, or rehost in Azure by moving to specialized Windows Server 2008 R2 VMs. Check out the Migration Guide for Windows Server for information and considerations for planning your migration/upgrade.

For on-premises servers, there is no direct upgrade path from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2016 or later. Instead, upgrade first to Windows Server 2012 R2, and then upgrade to Windows Server 2016.

As you are planning your upgrade, be aware of the following guidelines for the middle step of upgrading to Windows Server 2012 R2.

You can’t do an in-place upgrade from a 32-bit to 64-bit architectures or from one build type to another (fre to chk, for example).

In-place upgrades are only supported in the same language. You can’t upgrade from one language to another.

You can’t migrate from a Windows Server 2008 server core installation to Windows Server 2012 R2 with the Server GUI (called «Server with Full Desktop» in Windows Server). You can switch your upgraded server core installation to Server with Full Desktop, but only on Windows Server 2012 R2. Windows Server 2016 and later do not support switching from server core to Full Desktop, so make that switch before you upgrade to Windows Server 2016.

For more information, check out Evaluation Versions and Upgrade Options for Windows Server 2012, which includes role-specific upgrade details.