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How to Install SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition: Cmplete Step-by-Step Guide

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If you're starting your journey as a SQL developer, learning how to install SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition is your essential first step. This comprehensive guide walks you through the entire SQL Server 2019 installation process, from downloading the installer to running your first query. Whether you're setting up a learning environment or preparing for professional development work, you'll have SQL Server up and running in no time.

SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition is a full-featured, free edition of SQL Server that's perfect for development and testing. It includes all the functionality of the Enterprise Edition but is licensed only for non-production use. For beginners and aspiring SQL developers, it's the ideal platform to learn database administration, T-SQL programming, and reporting services.

System Requirements Before Installing SQL Server 2019

Before you begin the SQL Server 2019 installation, verify your system meets these minimum requirements:

Operating System: Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, or later versions

Processor: x64 processor, 1.4 GHz minimum (2.0 GHz or faster recommended)

Memory (RAM): Minimum 1 GB (4 GB or more recommended for optimal performance)

Hard Disk Space: Minimum 6 GB of available space

Display: 1024 x 768 resolution minimum

Developer Insight: I recommend at least 8 GB of RAM and 50 GB of free disk space if you plan to work with sample databases like WideWorldImporters or restore production-sized backups. SQL Server will run on minimum specs, but you'll have a much better learning experience with adequate resources.

Step 1: Download SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition

Navigate to the official Microsoft SQL Server downloads page at microsoft.com/sql-server/sql-server-downloads.

Scroll down to the "Developer" section and click the "Download now" button. This downloads a small bootstrap installer (approximately 5-10 MB) named something like SQL2019-SSEI-Dev.exe.

Important: Always download SQL Server directly from Microsoft's official website to ensure you're getting legitimate, unmodified software.

Step 2: Run the Installation Wizard

Locate the downloaded SQL2019-SSEI-Dev.exe file and run it as Administrator (right-click > Run as Administrator).

The SQL Server Installation Center launches, presenting three installation types:

  • Basic: Quick installation with default settings
  • Custom: Full control over features and configuration (recommended)
  • Download Media: Downloads the ISO file for offline installation

For this guide, select Custom to understand each configuration option. This knowledge is valuable for professional environments.

Step 3: Choose Installation Media Location

The installer prompts you to select where to download the installation files. Choose a location with at least 2 GB of free space, such as C:\SQLServerInstall.

Click Install to begin downloading. The process takes 5-15 minutes depending on your internet connection. The installer downloads approximately 1.5 GB of files.

Once complete, the installation wizard extracts the files and launches the SQL Server Installation Center automatically.

Step 4: SQL Server Installation Center

The Installation Center is your hub for all SQL Server setup activities. On the left side, you'll see several options:

  • Planning: Documentation and resources
  • Installation: Where we'll install SQL Server
  • Maintenance: For upgrades and repairs
  • Tools: Configuration utilities
  • Resources: Additional documentation

Click Installation on the left menu, then select "New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation" from the right panel.

Step 5: Product Key and License Terms

The wizard automatically selects "Developer" edition since that's what you downloaded. Click Next.

Read and accept the license terms by checking the box, then click Next.

Optional: Check "Use Microsoft Update to check for updates (recommended)" if you want automatic security patches. I recommend enabling this for learning environments.

Step 6: Install Rules Check

SQL Server runs a system configuration check to identify potential installation issues. This screen displays the results:

  • Green checkmarks indicate passed rules
  • Yellow warnings may require attention but won't block installation
  • Red errors must be resolved before proceeding

Common warnings you might see:

  • Windows Firewall: Informational only; you can configure firewall rules post-installation
  • Computer domain: Safe to ignore in development environments

If all critical rules pass, click Next.

Step 7: Feature Selection

This screen lets you choose which SQL Server components to install. For beginners, I recommend selecting:

Instance Features:

  • ☑ Database Engine Services (required - the core SQL Server database)
  • ☑ Full-Text and Semantic Extractions for Search (useful for text searching)

Shared Features:

  • ☑ Client Tools Connectivity (required for applications to connect)
  • ☑ Integration Services (for ETL workflows)
  • ☑ Client Tools SDK (helpful for development)

Developer Insight: For learning purposes, I always install Database Engine Services, Full-Text Search, and Client Tools. You can add other features like Reporting Services later if needed. Don't worry about Analysis Services or Machine Learning Services unless you specifically plan to use them.

You can also customize the installation directories. The defaults are fine, but if your C: drive has limited space, change the paths to a drive with more room.

Click Next after selecting your features.

Step 8: Instance Configuration

SQL Server instances allow multiple separate database servers on one machine. You have two options:

Default Instance: Named MSSQLSERVER, accessed simply as the server name Named Instance: Accessed as ServerName\InstanceName

For beginners, select Default instance. This simplifies connection strings and is standard for single-instance installations.

The Instance ID automatically matches your instance name. Click Next.

Step 9: Server Configuration

This screen configures the SQL Server service accounts and startup types.

Service Accounts: Leave the default settings unless you have specific security requirements. SQL Server uses virtual accounts by default, which is secure for development environments.

Startup Type: Set both SQL Server Database Engine and SQL Server Agent to Automatic. This ensures SQL Server starts automatically when Windows boots, saving you from manually starting services.

Developer Insight: In my development environment, I set services to Automatic. If you're on a laptop with limited resources and don't use SQL Server daily, you might prefer Manual startup to conserve memory.

Optional but Recommended: On the "Collation" tab, you can customize collation settings. The default SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS works for most English-language applications. CI means case-insensitive, AS means accent-sensitive.

Click Next.

Step 10: Database Engine Configuration

This is one of the most important configuration screens. You'll set authentication mode and specify administrators.

Authentication Mode

Choose between:

Windows authentication mode: Uses Windows user accounts (more secure, recommended for development) Mixed Mode: Supports both Windows authentication and SQL Server authentication

For learning environments, select Mixed Mode. This gives you flexibility to practice both authentication methods.

If you select Mixed Mode, you must set a password for the sa (system administrator) account. Choose a strong password you'll remember:

  • Minimum 8 characters
  • Mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
  • Example: DevSQL2019!

Never use simple passwords like "password" or "123456" even in development environments. Build good security habits early.

Specify SQL Server Administrators

Click Add Current User to add your Windows account as a SQL Server administrator. This is essential - you need administrative access to create databases and manage the server.

Developer Insight: I always add my Windows account as an administrator. For team environments, you might add additional domain accounts here, but for personal learning, your account is sufficient.

Data Directories

The "Data Directories" tab shows where SQL Server stores database files. The defaults are:

  • User database directory: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL15.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA
  • User database log directory: Same as above
  • Backup directory: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL15.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Backup

These defaults work fine. In production, you'd separate data and log files across different physical drives for performance, but that's unnecessary for development.

Click Next.

Step 11: Ready to Install

The wizard displays a summary of all your selections:

  • Edition: Developer
  • Features: Database Engine Services, etc.
  • Instance name: MSSQLSERVER
  • Authentication mode: Mixed Mode

Review this summary carefully. If anything looks incorrect, click Back to make changes.

When satisfied, click Install.

Step 12: Installation Progress

The installation process begins and typically takes 10-30 minutes depending on your hardware. You'll see progress bars for each component being installed:

  • Setup support files
  • Database Engine Services
  • SQL Server Replication
  • Full-Text and Semantic Extractions

The wizard shows detailed status for each step. This is a good time for a coffee break.

Step 13: Installation Complete

When installation completes successfully, you'll see a "Complete" status screen listing all installed features with green checkmarks.

Important: Note the location of the setup log files shown on this screen. If you encounter issues later, these logs are invaluable for troubleshooting.

Click Close to exit the wizard.

Step 14: Install SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

SQL Server 2019 no longer includes Management Studio in the installation media. You must download it separately.

Navigate to the SSMS download page: https://aka.ms/ssmsfullsetup

Download the latest version (SSMS 20.x as of this writing) and run the installer. The installation is straightforward - just click Install and wait for completion.

Developer Insight: SSMS is essential for SQL Server development. While you can use other tools like Azure Data Studio or Visual Studio, SSMS remains the most comprehensive management interface. Install it immediately after SQL Server.

Step 15: Verify Your Installation

Let's confirm SQL Server installed correctly and connect for the first time.

Start SQL Server Management Studio

Launch SSMS from the Start menu or search for "SQL Server Management Studio".

Connect to Your Server

The "Connect to Server" dialog appears automatically:

Server type: Database Engine Server name:

  • If you installed a default instance: Use your computer name or localhost or (local) or .
  • If you installed a named instance: Use ComputerName\InstanceName

Authentication:

  • For Windows Authentication: Select "Windows Authentication"
  • For SQL Server Authentication: Select "SQL Server Authentication" and enter sa and your password

Developer Insight: I typically use Windows Authentication for development work. It's more secure and doesn't require remembering passwords. Use SQL Authentication only when you need to test application connections that use SQL logins.

Click Connect.

Confirm Connection

If successful, SSMS displays the Object Explorer showing your server, databases, security objects, and more. You should see several system databases:

  • master (system database)
  • model (template for new databases)
  • msdb (SQL Server Agent metadata)
  • tempdb (temporary workspace)

Step 16: Download and Restore WideWorldImporters Sample Database

To practice SQL development, you need a realistic database. Microsoft's WideWorldImporters is perfect for learning.

Download WideWorldImporters

Navigate to Microsoft's sample databases repository or search for "WideWorldImporters sample database download".

Download the full backup file: WideWorldImporters-Full.bak (approximately 120 MB).

Restore the Database

In SSMS, right-click Databases > Restore Database.

Select Device, then click the ... button.

Click Add, navigate to your downloaded .bak file, select it, and click OK.

Click OK on the backup device selection window.

In the "Destination" section, the database name auto-populates as WideWorldImporters.

Click OK to begin the restore. This takes 1-2 minutes.

When complete, refresh the Databases folder. You'll see WideWorldImporters listed.

Run Your First Query

Click New Query in SSMS (or press Ctrl+N).

Type this query:

SELECT CustomerID, CustomerName, PhoneNumber
FROM Sales.Customers
WHERE CustomerID <= 10
ORDER BY CustomerID;

Highlight the query and click Execute (or press F5).

You should see results showing the first 10 customers from WideWorldImporters. Congratulations - you've successfully installed SQL Server 2019 and run your first query!

Explore More Tables

Try these queries to familiarize yourself with the sample database:

-- View stock items and their prices
SELECT TOP 20 
    StockItemID, 
    StockItemName, 
    UnitPrice, 
    RecommendedRetailPrice
FROM Warehouse.StockItems
ORDER BY UnitPrice DESC;

-- Check recent orders
SELECT TOP 10
    OrderID,
    CustomerID,
    OrderDate,
    ExpectedDeliveryDate
FROM Sales.Orders
ORDER BY OrderDate DESC;

-- Find items that need reordering
SELECT 
    si.StockItemName,
    sih.QuantityOnHand,
    sih.ReorderLevel
FROM Warehouse.StockItems si
INNER JOIN Warehouse.StockItemHoldings sih 
    ON si.StockItemID = sih.StockItemID
WHERE sih.QuantityOnHand < sih.ReorderLevel;

Developer Insight: I recommend spending an hour just exploring WideWorldImporters tables. Right-click tables and select "Select Top 1000 Rows" to see sample data. This hands-on exploration helps you understand database structure and relationships.

Common Installation Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: .NET Framework Errors

Error: "This SQL Server setup requires .NET Framework 4.6.2 or later"

Solution: Download and install .NET Framework 4.6.2 or later from Microsoft's download center. Restart your computer and retry the SQL Server installation.

Issue 2: Previous Installation Conflicts

Error: "An existing SQL Server installation was detected"

Solution: If you previously installed SQL Server, you might have leftover components. Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features, uninstall all SQL Server components, restart, and reinstall. Use the SQL Server Installation Center's Maintenance section to properly remove instances.

Issue 3: Port 1433 Already in Use

Error: "SQL Server cannot bind to port 1433"

Solution: Another application (possibly another SQL Server instance) is using the default port. Either stop that application, or configure SQL Server to use a different port during installation. You can modify this later in SQL Server Configuration Manager.

Issue 4: Windows Firewall Blocking Connections

Problem: Can't connect to SQL Server from another machine

Solution: Open Windows Firewall, create an inbound rule allowing TCP port 1433, and restart SQL Server service. For development machines, this is usually unnecessary unless you need remote access.

Issue 5: Mixed Mode Not Enabled

Problem: Cannot log in with sa account

Solution: In SSMS, right-click your server instance > Properties > Security > Select "SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode" > Restart SQL Server service from SQL Server Configuration Manager.

Developer Insight: I've installed SQL Server dozens of times, and the most common issue is forgetting to set Mixed Mode authentication during installation. If you forget, don't reinstall - just change it in server properties and restart the service.

Post-Installation Best Practices

Configure SQL Server for Development

After installation, consider these optimizations for development environments:

Set Maximum Server Memory: By default, SQL Server uses almost all available RAM. On development machines, limit this to prevent performance issues.

-- Limit SQL Server to 4 GB (4096 MB)
EXEC sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
RECONFIGURE;
EXEC sp_configure 'max server memory', 4096;
RECONFIGURE;

Enable Optimize for Ad Hoc Workloads: Reduces plan cache bloat in development environments with many one-time queries.

EXEC sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
RECONFIGURE;
EXEC sp_configure 'optimize for ad hoc workloads', 1;
RECONFIGURE;

Install Additional Tools

Beyond SSMS, consider installing:

  • Azure Data Studio: Lightweight, cross-platform query editor with excellent extensions
  • SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT): For database project development in Visual Studio
  • SQL Server Profiler: For tracing and debugging (included with SSMS)

Enable SQL Server Agent

SQL Server Agent handles scheduled jobs, alerts, and automation. Ensure it's running:

  1. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager
  2. Find SQL Server Agent (MSSQLSERVER)
  3. Right-click > Properties > Set Startup Type to Automatic
  4. Right-click > Start

Regular Backups Even in Development

Practice good habits even in development. Set up basic maintenance:

-- Create a simple backup
BACKUP DATABASE WideWorldImporters
TO DISK = 'C:\SQLBackups\WideWorldImporters.bak'
WITH INIT, COMPRESSION;

Summary and Key Takeaways

Installing SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition is straightforward when you follow these steps systematically. Here's what we covered:

  • System requirements ensure your machine supports SQL Server before installation
  • Download from official sources to guarantee legitimate software
  • Custom installation provides control and understanding of configuration options
  • Mixed Mode authentication offers flexibility for learning both authentication types
  • Adding your Windows account as admin is essential for database management
  • SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is downloaded separately and is critical for SQL development
  • WideWorldImporters sample database provides realistic data for practicing queries
  • Common issues are usually authentication-related or port conflicts, easily resolved

You now have a fully functional SQL Server 2019 development environment ready for learning T-SQL, database administration, and reporting services.

Next Steps: Practice writing queries against WideWorldImporters, explore different tables and schemas, and gradually work through more advanced topics like joins, indexes, and stored procedures. The foundation you've built today supports your entire SQL Server learning journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the difference between Developer Edition and Express Edition?

A: Developer Edition includes all Enterprise features but is licensed only for non-production use (development and testing). Express Edition is licensed for production but has limitations: 10 GB database size limit, uses only 1 CPU socket and 1 GB RAM, and lacks some advanced features like SQL Server Agent. For learning, Developer Edition is superior because you experience the full SQL Server feature set.

Q: Can I install multiple SQL Server versions on the same computer?

A: Yes, you can install multiple versions side-by-side using named instances. For example, you might have SQL Server 2017 (MSSQLSERVER) and SQL Server 2019 (SQL2019). Each instance operates independently. Just ensure each uses a different instance name during installation. This is useful for testing migration scenarios or comparing features across versions.

Q: I forgot my sa password. Can I reset it?

A: Yes, if you have Windows Administrator access and added yourself as a SQL Server administrator during installation. Connect to SQL Server using Windows Authentication in SSMS, then run:

ALTER LOGIN sa WITH PASSWORD = 'YourNewStrongPassword';
ALTER LOGIN sa ENABLE;

This resets the sa password. If you didn't add yourself as an administrator, you'll need to start SQL Server in single-user mode (advanced troubleshooting) or reinstall.

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