How to Install SQL Server 2008

This blog will guide you how to install SQL Server 2008 in your PC.

First of all, if you don't have the SQL Server installer yet then you need visit Microsoft Express Edition SQL Server 2008 and download it. Once downloaded, click the Setup.exe file to install the SQL Server 2008. It will take sometime because you downloaded only the installer file (but you haven't downloaded all the required files to install SQL Server 2008). But if you already have your complete SQL Server files, then we are ready to go.

The first dialog that will appear is the SQL Server Installation Center. See the image below.

From the left, select the menu Installation and select the first entry 'New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation'. This selection will install the stand-alone SQL Server in your PC (or modify the existing installation if you wish to add other features).

After clicking it, the Setup Support Roles dialog will check your system whether there are possible problem might occur when installing the SQL Server. This is a pro-active feature as it is checking the system configuration in advance. If there are problems found in your system, you need to fix it by following the guidance from Microsoft SQL Server installer guide. Otherwise, the screen below will display.

Just click the OK button to proceed. On the next window just click the Install button. It will install the Setup Support Files needed and it will then proceed to the installation. See image below after clicking the install button.

Please note that if you have a firewall running you need to disable it temporarily so the SQL Server installation will not be interrupted during the installation for the blocked contents.

Click then Next button. In the Installation Type, select the Perform a new installation of SQL Server 2008 option and click the Next button again. Enter product key in the next window. See image below.

Click the Next button again. In the next window, you will the License Terms, you have to read it to fully understand what is written in the terms. If you are okay with it already, just tick the I accept the license terms and click the Next button.

In the next window, you will be prompted if what features of SQL Server you wish to install. See below the image.

Notice in the Shared Features, there are disabled check items already. This is because we already installed the SQL Server in our PC and some of the Shared Features has already been installed already. But for the basic feature, please check the Database Engine Services, Management Tools - Basic and SQL Client Connectivity SDK. But note that you can install other features if you wish.

If you are done selecting the features, click Next button. There you will be prompted what instance name you wish to create. For this blog we will be using the default instance.

From the option, select the Default Instance and just click and click the Next button until you see the screen below.

In the SQL Server Agent and SQL Server Database Engine our advice is to set the Account Name and Password as same (just select your windows credential and type the corresponding windows password). But it is all depends your perusal.

After that click the Next button.

In the authentication mode, just select the default Windows Authentication Mode so the SQL Server Instance will automatically use the default windows credential during the authentication. In the administrator account section, just click the Add Current User button so you will be the administrator of the current SQL Server Instance. If you want to add other people in your organisation to be an administrator of this instance, just search their name and add them.

Click and click the Next button again until you arrived in the Installation Progress screen. See below the screenshot.

And once the progress finished, you're done with your installation. Click the Next and the next window will give you an option to see the installation logs. Just click the Close button to close the installer wizard.

That's all the process how to install the SQL Server 2008 edition. Have a happy programming and SQL querying.