Step-by-Step Guide: Installing Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition on Windows

Introduction

This guide provides a detailed walk through for installing Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition on a Windows Server 2019 machine. Follow each step carefully to ensure a smooth installation process.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

• Windows machine with at least 2 CPU cores and 4 GB RAM
• SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition installation media (download link provided below)

Step 1: Download SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition

1. Visit the official Microsoft SQL Server download page.
2. Select “Developer” edition and click Download.
   
3. Choose “Download Media” (ISO file) and select your preferred language.
   
4. Specify a download location and click Download.
   
5. Once the download completes, click Close.
   

Step 2: Mount the ISO and Begin Installation

1. Double-click the downloaded ISO file to mount it (Windows will create a virtual drive).
   
2. Open the mounted drive and run setup.exe.
   
3. In the SQL Server Installation Center, select:
   
   • Installation (left panel)
   • “New SQL Server stand-alone installation” (right panel)

Step 3: Configure Installation Settings

1. Edition Selection:
   
   • Choose “Developer” from the dropdown and click Next.
2. License Terms:
   
   • Accept the terms and click Next.
3. Microsoft Update (Optional):
   
   • Enable updates for the latest patches (recommended) and click Next.
4. Install Setup Files:
   
   • Wait while SQL Server installs necessary components.
5. Installation Rules Check:
   
   • Ensure all rules pass before proceeding. If any errors appear, resolve them before continuing.

Step 4: Feature Selection

1. Select the required features (e.g., Database Engine Services, SQL Server Replication, Full-Text Search).
2. Keep the default installation path or modify it if needed.
3. Click Next.

Step 5: Instance Configuration

• Default Instance: Installs as MSSQLSERVER (accessible via server name only).
• Named Instance: Specify a custom name (e.g., SQL2019DEV).
• Choose Named Instance, enter a name, and click Next.

Step 6: Server Configuration

1. Service Accounts Tab:
   
   • Set Startup Type to Automatic for:
     • SQL Server Database Engine
     • SQL Server Agent
     • SQL Server Browser
2. Collation Tab:
   
   • Keep default collation or customize as needed.

Step 7: Database Engine Configuration

Server Configuration Tab

• Authentication Mode:
  • Select Mixed Mode (SQL Server and Windows Authentication).
  • Set a strong sa (system administrator) password.
• Add Current User as an administrator.

Data Directories Tab

• Change default paths (e.g., store database files on **D:** instead of **C:** for better performance and security).

TempDB Configuration

• Set the number of TempDB data files equal to the number of CPU cores.

Memory & MAXDOP Settings

• Configure min/max memory allocation based on system resources.
  
• Set MAXDOP (Maximum Degree of Parallelism) appropriately (default is usually fine).

FILESTREAM (Optional)

• Disable unless needed for file storage integration.

Click Next to proceed.

Step 8: Installation & Completion

1. Review the summary and click Install.
   
2. Wait for the installation to complete (may take several minutes).
   
3. Once finished, verify all components show “Succeeded”.
   
4. Click Close.