Category: Installation & Configuration
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SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): The Complete Guide
SQL Server Management Studio is still the tool most production DBAs live in day to day, and it has changed more in the last couple of years than the previous decade, a new install and update model, a different default connection security posture, and enough small quality-of-life settings that stay buried in menus that most…
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Instant File Initialization: What It Actually Does and How to Enable It
Instant File Initialization is one of the few SQL Server settings that’s genuinely free performance, no license cost, no downside for the overwhelming majority of installs, and it’s still routinely left unconfigured on real production servers because it’s a Windows privilege grant, not a SQL Server setting, and it happens outside SSMS entirely. This post…
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Installing Windows Terminal on Windows
Windows Terminal is the modern command-line application for Windows and supports PowerShell, Command Prompt, and WSL in a single interface. On recent versions of Windows (Windows 11 and newer), Windows Terminal is installed by default. If it’s already available on your system, no installation is required. If it isn’t installed, or you’re working on older…
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SQL Server Builds: Complete Version List and Support Lifecycle (Updated 2026)
This is the master reference I keep bookmarked for every SQL Server environment I touch. Whether you’re checking compatibility, planning an upgrade, or verifying the latest Cumulative Update, having the full build history in one place saves hours. I pulled and cleaned this from the excellent SQL Server Builds site and keep it current here…
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How to Get the SQL Server IP Address
When troubleshooting connectivity, firewall rules, or unexpected routing, you often need one simple answer: which IP address and port did my session actually connect to? SQL Server can listen on multiple IPs (and listeners can resolve to multiple addresses), so the hostname in your connection string does not always tell you what you really hit.…
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Open SSMS as a Different Domain User
When working in corporate SQL Server environments, you will often need to connect using a different Active Directory domain account. Common reasons include: SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) does not allow switching users inside the connection dialog. To connect as another user, you must launch SSMS itself using that account. This post covers the two…
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Check SQL Server Connection Encryption and Protocol
Modern SQL Server environments often use encrypted connections by default, but that does not always mean what people think it means. When troubleshooting connectivity problems, certificate errors, performance questions, or unexpected client behaviour, DBAs usually need to answer one very specific question: What protocol and encryption is this connection actually using right now? This post…
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sqlcmd Examples for SQL Server
sqlcmd is a command line utility for connecting to SQL Server and executing Transact-SQL without a GUI. It is commonly used for automation, scripting, remote administration, and incident response, especially in environments where SSMS is unavailable, inappropriate, or too heavy. This post covers sqlcmd usage from a DBA perspective, how to find or install it,…
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Install and Update SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
Part of the SSMS Complete Guide. SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is the primary management tool for SQL Server and Azure SQL, and it’s also the official download and update path for SSMS going forward. In recent releases it’s changed significantly, not in how it looks, but in how it installs, updates, and enforces connection…
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SQL Server Default Ports
By default, the SQL Server Database Engine listens on TCP port 1433. This is useful to know, but it is not something you should rely on blindly. SQL Server can be configured to listen on different ports, and this is common on hosts running multiple SQL Server instances where each instance requires its own port.…
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Start Here
- DBA Scripts: The Complete Guide
- Run a Full Health Check
- DBA Scripts & Tools
- SSMS: The Complete Guide
- Wait Types Library
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- Compatibility Levels: What Actually Changes When You Bump It
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