Install SQL Server 2012 from the Installation Wizard (Setup)

This topic provides a step-by-step procedure for installing a new instance of SQL Server 2012 using the SQL Server setup installation wizard. The SQL Server Installation Wizard provides a single feature tree for installation of all SQL Server components so that you do not have to install them individually. For more information on various components that can be installed, see Installation for SQL Server 2012. For more information about how to install the SQL Server components individually, see Install SQL Server 2012.

Note

SQL Server Compact runtime and query tools are installed when you install SQL Server Management Studio and SQL Server Integration Services. SQL Server Compact Server tools are installed if you create a replication subscription involving SQL Server Compact.

These additional topics document other ways to install SQL Server:

Prerequisites

Before you install SQL Server, review topics in Planning a SQL Server Installation.

Note

For local installations, you must run Setup as an administrator. If you install SQL Server from a remote share, you must use a domain account that has read and execute permissions on the remote share.

To install SQL Server 2012

  1. Insert the SQL Server installation media. From the root folder, double-click Setup.exe. To install from a network share, locate the root folder on the share, and then double-click Setup.exe.

  2. The Installation Wizard runs the SQL Server Installation Center. To create a new installation of SQL Server, click Installation in the left-hand navigation area, and then click New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation.

  3. The System Configuration Checker runs a discovery operation on your computer. To continue, click OK. You can view the details on the screen by clicking Show Details, or as an HTML report by clicking View detailed report.

  4. On the Setup Support Files page, click Install to install the Setup support files.

  5. The System Configuration Checker runs a discovery operation on your computer. To continue, click OK. You can view the details on the screen by clicking Show Details, or as an HTML report by clicking View detailed report.

  6. On the Language Selection page, you can specify the language for your instance of SQL Server if you are installing on a localized operating system and the installation media includes language packs for both English and the language corresponding to the operating system. For more information about cross-language support and installation considerations, see Local Language Versions in SQL Server.

    To continue, click Next.

  7. On the Product Key page, select an option to indicate whether you are installing a free edition of SQL Server, or a production version of the product that has a PID key. For more information, see Editions and Components of SQL Server 2012.

    To continue, click Next.

  8. On the License Terms page, review the license agreement and, if you agree, select the I accept the license terms check box, and then click Next. To help improve SQL Server, you can also enable the feature usage option and send reports to Microsoft.

  9. On the Product Updates page, the latest available SQL Server product updates are displayed. If you don't want to include the updates, clear the Include SQL Server product updates check box. If no product updates are discovered, SQL Server Setup does not display this page and auto advances to the Install Setup Files page. For more information on Product Updates, see Product Updates in SQL Server 2012 Installation

  10. On the Install Setup files page, Setup provides the progress of downloading, extracting, and installing the Setup files. If an update for SQL Server Setup is found, and is specified to be included, that update will also be installed.

  11. The System Configuration Checker verifies the system state of your computer before Setup continues.

  12. On the Setup Role page, select SQL Server Feature Installation, and then click Next to continue to the Feature Selection page.

  13. On the Feature Selection page, select the components for your installation. A description for each component group appears in the Feature description pane after you select the feature name. You can select any combination of check boxes. For more information, see Editions and Components of SQL Server 2012 and Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2012.

    The prerequisites for the selected features are displayed in the Prerequisites for selected features pane. SQL Server Setup will install the prerequisite that are not already installed during the installation step described later in this procedure.

    You can also specify a custom directory for shared components by using the field at the bottom of the Feature Selection page. To change the installation path for shared components, either update the path in the field at the bottom of the dialog box, or click Browse to move to an installation directory. The default installation path is C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\.

    The path specified for the shared components must be an absolute path. The folder must not be compressed or encrypted. Mapped drives are not supported. If you are installing SQL Server on a 64-bit Operating System, you will see the following options:

    1. Shared feature directory

    2. Shared feature directory (x86)

    The path specified for each of the above options must be different.

  14. On the Installation Rules page, Setup verifies the system state of your computer before Setup continues.

  15. On the Instance Configuration page, specify whether to install a default instance or a named instance. For more information, see Instance Configuration. Click Next to continue.

    Instance ID — By default, the instance name is used as the Instance ID. This is used to identify installation directories and registry keys for your instance of SQL Server. This is the case for default instances and named instances. For a default instance, the instance name and instance ID would be MSSQLSERVER. To use a non-default instance ID, specify a different value for Instance ID text box.

    Note

    Typical stand-alone instances of SQL Server 2012, whether default or named instances, do not use a non-default value for the Instance ID.

    Instance root directory — By default, the instance root directory is C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\. To specify a non-default root directory, use the field provided, or click Browse to locate an installation folder.

    All SQL Server service packs and upgrades will apply to every component of an instance of SQL Server.

    Installed instances — The grid shows instances of SQL Server that are on the computer where Setup is running. If a default instance is already installed on the computer, you must install a named instance of SQL Server 2012.

  16. The Disk Space Requirements page calculates the required disk space for the features that you specify. Then it compares the required space to the available disk space.

  17. Work flow for the rest of this topic depends on the features that you have specified for your installation. You might not see all the pages, depending on your selections.

  18. Use the Server Configuration — Service Accounts page to specify login accounts for SQL Server services. The actual services that are configured on this page depend on the features that you selected to install.

    You can assign the same login account to all SQL Server services, or you can configure each service account individually. You can also specify whether services start automatically, are started manually, or are disabled. Microsoft recommends that you configure service accounts individually to provide least privileges for each service, where SQL Server services are granted the minimum permissions they have to have to complete their tasks. For more information, see Server Configuration - Service Accounts and Configure Windows Service Accounts and Permissions.

    To specify the same logon account for all service accounts in this instance of SQL Server, provide credentials in the fields at the bottom of the page.

    Security noteSecurity Note

    Do not use a blank password. Use a strong password.

    When you are finished specifying login information for SQL Server services, click Next.

  19. Use the Server Configuration — Collation page to specify non-default collations for the Database Engine and Analysis Services.

  20. Use the Database Engine Configuration - Account Provisioning page to specify the following:

    • Security Mode — Select Windows Authentication or Mixed Mode Authentication for your instance of SQL Server. If you select Mixed Mode Authentication, you must provide a strong password for the built-in SQL Server system administrator account.

      After a device establishes a successful connection to SQL Server, the security mechanism is the same for both Windows Authentication and Mixed Mode.

    • SQL Server Administrators — You must specify at least one system administrator for the instance of SQL Server. To add the account under which SQL Server Setup is running, click Add Current User. To add or remove accounts from the list of system administrators, click Add or Remove, and then edit the list of users, groups, or computers that will have administrator privileges for the instance of SQL Server.

    When you are finished editing the list, click OK. Verify the list of administrators in the configuration dialog box. When the list is complete, click Next.

  21. Use the Database Engine Configuration - Data Directories page to specify non-default installation directories. To install to default directories, click Next.

    Important

    If you specify non-default installation directories, ensure that the installation folders are unique to this instance of SQL Server. None of the directories in this dialog box should be shared with directories from other instances of SQL Server.

  22. Use the Database Engine Configuration - FILESTREAM page to enable FILESTREAM for your instance of SQL Server.

  23. Use the Analysis Services Configuration — Account Provisioning page to specify the server mode and the users or accounts that will have administrator permissions for Analysis Services. Server mode determines which memory and storage subsystems are used on the server. Different solution types run in different server modes. If you plan to run multidimensional cube databases on the server, choose the default option, Multidimensional and Data Mining server mode. Regarding administrator permissions, you must specify at least one system administrator for Analysis Services. To add the account under which SQL Server Setup is running, click Add Current User. To add or remove accounts from the list of system administrators, click Add or Remove, and then edit the list of users, groups, or computers that will have administrator privileges for Analysis Services. For more information about server mode and administrator permissions, see Analysis Services Configuration - Account Provisioning.

    When you are finished editing the list, click OK. Verify the list of administrators in the configuration dialog box. When the list is complete, click Next.

  24. Use the Analysis Services Configuration — Data Directories page to specify non-default installation directories. To install to default directories, click Next.

    Important

    If you specify non-default installation directories, ensure that the installation folders are unique to this instance of SQL Server. None of the directories in this dialog box should be shared with directories from other instances of SQL Server.

    For more information, see Analysis Services Configuration - Data Directories.

  25. Use the Reporting Services Configuration page to specify the kind of Reporting Services installation to create. For more information about Reporting Services configuration modes and the options we have, see Reporting Services Configuration Options (SSRS).

    After you choose an option, click Next to continue.

  26. Use the Distributed Replay Controller Configuration page to specify the users you want to grant administrative permissions to for the Distributed Replay controller service. Users that have administrative permissions will have unlimited access to the Distributed Replay controller service.

    Click the Add Current User button to add the users to whom you want to grant access permissions for the Distributed Replay controller service. Click the Add button to add access permissions for the Distributed Replay controller service. Click the Remove button to remove access permissions from the Distributed Replay controller service.

    To continue, click Next.

  27. Use the Distributed Replay Client Configuration page to specify the users you want to grant administrative permissions to for the Distributed Replay client service. Users that have administrative permissions will have unlimited access to the Distributed Replay client service.

    Controller Name is an optional parameter, and the default value is <blank>. Enter the name of the controller that the client computer will communicate with for the Distributed Replay client service. Note the following:

    • If you have already set up a controller, enter the name of the controller while configuring each client.

    • If you have not yet set up a controller, you can leave the controller name blank. However, you must manually enter the controller name in the client configuration file.

    Specify the Working Directory for the Distributed Replay client service. The default working directory is <drive letter>:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\DReplayClient\WorkingDir\.

    Specify the Result Directory for the Distributed Replay client service. The default result directory is <drive letter>:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\DReplayClient\ResultDir\.

    To continue, click Next.

  28. On the Error Reporting page, specify the information that you want to send to Microsoft that will help improve SQL Server. By default, options for error reporting is enabled.

  29. The System Configuration Checker will run one more set of rules to validate your computer configuration with the SQL Server features that you have specified.

  30. The Ready to Install page shows a tree view of installation options that were specified during Setup. On this page, Setup indicates whether the Product Update feature is enabled or disabled and the final update version.

    To continue, click Install. SQL Server Setup will first install the required prerequisites for the selected features followed by the feature installation.

  31. During installation, the Installation Progress page provides status so that you can monitor installation progress as Setup continues.

  32. After installation, the Complete page provides a link to the summary log file for the installation and other important notes. To complete the SQL Server installation process, click Close.

  33. If you are instructed to restart the computer, do so now. It is important to read the message from the Installation Wizard when you have finished with Setup. For more information, see View and Read SQL Server Setup Log Files.

Next Steps

Configure your new SQL Server installation

See Also

Tasks

Repair a Failed SQL Server 2012 Installation

Upgrade to SQL Server 2012 Using the Installation Wizard (Setup)

Concepts

Validate a SQL Server Installation

View and Read SQL Server Setup Log Files

Install SQL Server 2012 from the Command Prompt