Once you have the media (or choose ), follow these critical configuration steps: Microsoft SQL Server downloads

A "new" installation means a clean slate. You are not upgrading an older version (like 2017) or adding features to an existing instance.

Before starting, ensure your system meets these minimum hardware specs:

UPDATE SERVER SET SERVERPROPERTY('ProductLevel') = 'CU%' GO

. This allows you to log in with your Windows account but also creates a system administrator ( ) account for manual SQL logins. Specify SQL Server Administrators: Don’t forget to click the "Add Current User"