SQL Server Install Location

  • Can the SQL Server Binaries (2005,2008,2012) be installed in a location other than the C: drive.

    How can I specify the location to install the SQL Server on a drive of my choosing.

  • To my knowledge the binnaries are always installed on C: All the databases can be installed/moved to different locations. But why do you want them somewhere else?

  • There's no problem with installing the actual SQL server binaries on a different drive, no...we have a test server here that has SQL installations on both drives D: and Q:, for example. However, there are some components of the installation (e.g. .NET Framework, if you're installing a version of SQL server that requires it) which always go in the system drive and can't be selected to go anywhere else, so you'll always need *some* free space on the system drive to do a SQL server installation.

  • If you put the maximum possible on a separate drive on a SQL install, you will end up with about 3GB on the system drive and about 800MB on your other drive.

    After you have installed a couple of Service Packs and maybe 10 CUs, you will end up with about 12GB added to the system drive and about 1.5GB added to your other drive.

    My preference is to make the ssytem drive large enough to hold the SQL binaries. Even with everything on the system drive, we very rarely see read IOPS go into double-digits, so once the server is booted then system drive performance is that important.

    Original author: https://github.com/SQL-FineBuild/Common/wiki/ 1-click install and best practice configuration of SQL Server 2019, 2017 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008 R2, 2008 and 2005.

    When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor they call me a communist - Archbishop Hélder Câmara

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