Install SQL Server Management Studio: Your Comprehensive Guide

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) stands as a cornerstone tool for anyone working with SQL infrastructure, from on-premises SQL Servers to Azure SQL Database and beyond. It provides a unified environment to configure, manage, and monitor every aspect of your SQL Server instances and databases. Whether you need to deploy databases, fine-tune performance, or craft intricate queries, SSMS equips you with the necessary tools. This guide will walk you through the process to Install Sql Server Management Studio and get you started with this powerful utility.

For users seeking a cross-platform alternative to SSMS, especially for managing SQL and other Azure databases, Azure Data Studio is an excellent choice. However, for in-depth SQL Server administration and development on Windows, SSMS remains the industry standard.

To discover the latest enhancements and features in the newest release, refer to the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2.

For those interested in exploring upcoming features, Install SQL Server Management Studio 21 Preview provides information on the preview version.

Downloading SQL Server Management Studio

Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2

SSMS 20.2 represents the most current Generally Available (GA) release. If you have a preview version of SSMS 20 installed, it’s crucial to uninstall it before proceeding with the installation of SSMS 20.2. Importantly, installing SSMS 20.2 will not upgrade or replace any existing SSMS 19.x or earlier versions; it installs alongside them, allowing you to have multiple versions available.

• Release Number: 20.2
• Build Number: 20.2.30.0
• Release Date: July 9, 2024

By downloading and using SQL Server Management Studio, you are agreeing to the license terms and privacy statement. For any feedback, suggestions, or issue reporting, the SSMS Developer Community site is the best channel to reach the SSMS team.

Keep in mind that SSMS 20.x is designed to coexist with earlier versions like SSMS 19.x and older. This side-by-side installation means you can have multiple versions on the same machine. However, if you’re updating from a previous preview build of SSMS 20, you must uninstall the preview version first to avoid conflicts. You can easily check if you have a preview version by navigating to Help > About within SSMS.

When running multiple SSMS installations, ensure you’re launching the correct version for your intended tasks. The latest version is clearly labeled as Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio v20.2.

Important Note:

For users of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) versions 18.7 through 19.3, Azure Data Studio was automatically bundled with SSMS. This integration allowed SSMS users to leverage the innovative features of Azure Data Studio. Azure Data Studio is a versatile, cross-platform, and open-source tool suitable for cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments. This bundling is not present in SSMS 20.0 and later versions.

To explore Azure Data Studio further, visit What is Azure Data Studio or consult the FAQ.

Installation Languages

SSMS 20.2 offers installation in several languages:

SQL Server Management Studio 20.2:

If you are viewing this page in a non-English language and wish to access the most current information, select Read in English at the top of the page. To download SSMS in different languages, refer to the available languages section on the download page.

Note:

The SQL Server PowerShell module is distributed separately through the PowerShell Gallery. For instructions on installing it, see Install the SQL Server PowerShell module.

What’s New in SSMS 20.2

For detailed information about the new features and improvements in this release, consult the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

Accessing Previous SSMS Versions

This guide focuses on the latest SSMS version. To download earlier versions of SSMS, go to Previous SSMS releases.

Important Compatibility Updates:

As of December 2021, SSMS versions older than 18.6 no longer support authentication to Database Engines using Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication (MFA). To continue using MFA, you must upgrade to SSMS 18.6 or later.

Connectivity to Azure Analysis Services via Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication requires SSMS 18.5.1 or later.

Unattended Installation of SSMS

For streamlined deployments, SSMS can be installed silently using PowerShell, eliminating the need for GUI interaction.

Follow these steps for a silent background installation:

1. Launch PowerShell as an administrator.

2. Execute the following command, adjusting the paths to match your environment:

   $media_path = "<path to ssms-setup-enu.exe>"
   $install_path = "<installation root directory for ssms>"
   $params = " /Install /Quiet SSMSInstallRoot=`"$install_path`""
   Start-Process -FilePath $media_path -ArgumentList $params -Wait

   For example:

   $media_path = "C:InstallersSSMS-Setup-ENU.exe"
   $install_path = "$env:SystemDriveSSMSto"
   $params = "/Install /Quiet SSMSInstallRoot=`"$install_path`""
   Start-Process -FilePath $media_path -ArgumentList $params -Wait

   Alternatively, replace /Quiet with /Passive to display the setup UI during installation while still automating the process.

3. Upon successful installation, SSMS will be located at %systemdrive%SSMStoCommon7IDESsms.exe (based on the example paths). If errors occur, examine the return error code and the log file in %TEMP%SSMSSetup for troubleshooting.

Uninstalling SSMS

During installation, SSMS may install shared components if they are not already present on your system. When you uninstall SSMS, these shared components are not automatically removed.

These shared components include:

• Microsoft OLE DB Driver 18 for SQL Server
• Microsoft ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x86)
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x64)
• Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019

These components are intentionally left uninstalled because they might be used by other applications. Uninstalling them could potentially disrupt the functionality of other software on your machine.

Azure Data Studio Integration (SSMS 18.7 – 19.3)

As previously mentioned, SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3 included Azure Data Studio as part of the installation process. However, SSMS 20.0 and later versions do not bundle Azure Data Studio.

• If you are using SSMS 18.7 to 19.3, the Azure Data Studio installation is skipped if a compatible or newer version of Azure Data Studio is already installed on the system.
• The specific version of Azure Data Studio included can be found in the release notes for each SSMS version.
• Azure Data Studio installation utilizes the same system security permissions as the SSMS installer.
• The installation of Azure Data Studio proceeds with its default settings, which include creating a Start Menu folder and adding Azure Data Studio to the system PATH environment variable. A desktop shortcut is not created, and Azure Data Studio is not set as the default editor for any file types.
• Azure Data Studio localization is managed through Language Pack extensions. To localize Azure Data Studio, install the appropriate language pack from the extension marketplace.
• For versions 18.7 through 19.3, you could prevent the installation of Azure Data Studio by launching the SSMS installer with the command-line flag DoNotInstallAzureDataStudio=1.

Supported SQL Server Offerings

This SSMS version is compatible with SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and later. It is optimized to fully support the latest cloud capabilities in Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric.

Moreover, SSMS 20.x can be installed alongside SSMS 19.x, SSMS 18.x, SSMS 17.x, and SSMS 16.x, offering flexibility in managing different SQL Server environments.

For SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SSMS 17.x and later versions do not support connections to the legacy SQL Server Integration Services service. To manage older legacy Integration Services, utilize the SSMS version aligned with the respective SQL Server version. For instance, use SSMS 16.x to connect to SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Integration Services. Remember that SSMS 17.x and SSMS 16.x can coexist on the same machine. Since SQL Server 2012 (11.x), the SSIS Catalog database (SSISDB) is the recommended approach for managing and operating Integration Services packages. For more information, see SSIS Catalog.

SSMS System Requirements

The current SSMS release is designed for 64-bit platforms and requires the latest service packs for optimal performance.

Supported Operating Systems:

• Windows 11 (x64)
• Windows 10 (x64) version 1607 (10.0.14393) and later
• Windows Server 2022 (x64)
• Windows Server Core 2022 (x64)
• Windows Server 2019 (x64)
• Windows Server Core 2019 (x64)
• Windows Server 2016 (x64) ¹

¹ SSMS requires .NET Framework 4.7.2.

Additional Requirements:

• Administrator privileges are necessary for SSMS installation and updates.
• Running SSMS in a virtual machine environment necessitates a full Windows operating system.
• Windows containers are not supported.
• SSMS is not supported within application virtualization solutions like Microsoft App-V, MSIX for Windows, or third-party virtualization technologies.

Note:

To install SSMS on Windows Server Core, you must first install the Server Core App Compatibility Feature on Demand.

Supported Hardware:

• Processor: 1.8 GHz or faster x86 (Intel, AMD) processor. Dual-core or better recommended.
• RAM: 2 GB of RAM; 4 GB recommended (minimum 2.5 GB in a virtual machine).
• Hard Disk Space: Minimum 3 GB up to 10 GB of available space.

Note:

SSMS is exclusively available as a 32-bit application for Windows. For operating systems other than Windows, Azure Data Studio is the recommended alternative. Visit Azure Data Studio for more details.

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