Microsoft SQL Server 2022 is a powerful relational database management system designed for both beginners and professionals. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the full process of downloading, installing, and activating SQL Server 2022 on your Windows PC.
System Requirements
Before you begin, make sure your PC meets these minimum system requirements:
- Operating System: Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016/2019/2022
- Processor: 1.4 GHz or faster, 64-bit processor
- RAM: 2 GB minimum (4 GB or more recommended)
- Disk Space: At least 6 GB available
Step 1: Download Microsoft SQL Server 2022
Go to the official Microsoft download page:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-downloads
Once you click on the Download Now button, a very small document (actually the SQL Server Developer Edition 2022 EXE file) downloads .
Now click on the above EXE file or double-click on the EXE file from its downloaded folder. A popup will open. Click yes, then it will ask you what you want to download, as shown in the image below.
Here, you can see three Options: Basic, Custom, and Download Media. I like to Download Media simply because I want to reuse it on multiple computers. So, I click the Download Media option, as shown in the image below.
Once you click on the Download Media option, the following window will open.
When you click on the Download button, downloading the required files will take some time. Once the download is successful, you will get the following message: Next, I am going to open the folder. To open the folder, click the Open Folder button, as shown in the image below.
The following image shows the folder’s content. It just contains two files: one .exe and one .box file.
Installing SQL Server 2022 on Windows Operating System:
Once you double-click on the exe file, one popup will appear asking, “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?” click Yes, and we will make changes. Once you click yes, it will ask you to select the location for the extracted files, as shown in the image below. In my case, I am going with the default location, C:\Users\Pranaya\Downloads\SQLServer2022-DEV-x64-ENU\, and clicking on the OK button, as shown in the image below.
It will extract all the files into the specified folder
Once the extraction is completed, it will open the following SQL Server Installation Center.
Click on the Installation tab as shown in the below image.
To proceed, we need to click the New SQL Server Standalone Installation and Add Features to an Existing Installation option .
The automatically installed setup files will open once you click on the above link. Click Next if you get the following screen: If you are getting a Windows Firewall Warning, this is fine, and you can proceed by clicking on the Next button, as shown in the image below.
Once you click on the Next button, the Installation Type window will open.
Once you click on the Next button, the following Product Key window will open. Now, in this window, it asks what edition you want. Do you want the Developer Edition, or do you want the Express Edition? Or are you downloading one of the standard or enterprise editions and want to give it a 180-day trial, or do you have a product?
In the “Edition” tab, choose “Enter the product key.” Copy and paste the SQL Server2022 Standard key and tick “I have a SQL Server license only,” then click “Next.”
Once you click on the Next button, it will open the following License Term window. Here, you need to accept the License Term by checking the checkbox and clicking the Next button, as shown in the image below.
In the “Database Engine Configuration” section, select “Add current user” for simplicity, or configure as needed. Click “Next.”
Once you click on the Next button, the Ready to Install window will open. This means the SQL Server instance is ready to install. So, click the Next button, as shown in the image below, to start installing.
Once you click on the Install button, the installation will start. Once the installation is completed, you will get the following message: Click on the Close button to close the installation.
