Install and Update SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

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 behaviour: it now updates frequently, runs through the Visual Studio Installer, and applies stricter encryption defaults by design. If you still think of SSMS as a tool you install once and forget about, modern versions will surprise you.

This post covers how SSMS works today: what changed, how to install, update, and uninstall it properly, and how to manage it sensibly as a DBA without surprises or unnecessary churn.

Download SSMS

Every SSMS Version and Where To Get It

Install From the Command Line

For SSMS 22 and 21, download the Visual Studio Installer bootstrapper and run it unattended:

# SSMS 22, silent install
$url = 'https://aka.ms/ssms/22/release/vs_SSMS.exe'
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile "$env:TEMP\vs_SSMS.exe"
Start-Process "$env:TEMP\vs_SSMS.exe" -ArgumentList '--quiet','--norestart','--wait' -Wait

SSMS 20 and earlier use the older standalone installer, which takes different switches:

# SSMS 20, silent install (note the different URL and switches)
$url = 'https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2313753'
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile "$env:TEMP\SSMS-Setup-ENU.exe"
Start-Process "$env:TEMP\SSMS-Setup-ENU.exe" -ArgumentList '/install','/quiet','/norestart' -Wait

Which Version Do You Need?

• New machine, nothing special about it: SSMS 22. It connects back to older SQL Server versions perfectly well, so there is rarely a reason to install an older client.
• You manage the legacy Integration Services service on SQL Server 2022: keep SSMS 20.2.1 or 19.3 alongside SSMS 22. They install side by side.
• You are already on SSMS 21: update in place through the Visual Studio Installer rather than downloading 22 separately. The Updating SSMS section below covers the update channels.

Running more than one version at once is supported and common. Running Multiple SSMS Versions Side by Side, further down this page, covers how they coexist.

What Changed With Modern SSMS

SSMS is now:

• Installed and updated via the Visual Studio Installer
• Released on a frequent, in-place update cadence
• Available in Release and Preview channels
• Fully 64-bit
• Actively maintained and decoupled from SQL Server engine releases

Side-by-side installation has been supported for years. What changed is that Microsoft now actively encourages parallel Release and Preview installs as part of the supported workflow.

SSMS is no longer tied to SQL Server engine releases. It behaves like a continuously updated client application, and DBAs need to treat it as such.

Permissions and Prerequisites

Before installing or updating SSMS, keep these basics in mind:

• Installation and updates require local administrator permissions
• SSMS must be closed before an update can apply
• Updates are pulled from Microsoft unless you use an internal source (for example, SCCM)
• Windows will prompt for elevation if you’re running as a standard user

Nothing unusual here, but worth stating explicitly, especially on shared servers and jump hosts.

Installing SSMS (Visual Studio Installer Model)

Starting with modern SSMS releases, installation is handled through the Visual Studio Installer. If you were used to the old standalone SSMS installer, this can feel unfamiliar at first, but in practice it’s mostly a wrapper change rather than a functional one: you download a small bootstrapper, the installer opens automatically, and SSMS is installed and updated from there. Visual Studio itself is not required.

Once you’ve used it a few times, installs and updates tend to be more reliable than the older MSI-based SSMS releases.

First Launch Experience

After installation, SSMS behaves exactly as you’d expect. Launch it from the Start Menu and connect as normal, there’s no functional difference in how you connect to SQL Server, manage databases, or run queries. The biggest changes are behind the scenes.

On first launch, many SSMS users go straight to connecting to an existing SQL Server. In newer SSMS versions, this is also where you may first encounter stricter encryption behaviour. If you see a certificate or SSL error at this stage, it’s usually a client-side change rather than a server problem.

Running Multiple SSMS Versions Side by Side

You can safely install SSMS Release and SSMS Preview on the same machine. They update independently and do not interfere with each other. This makes it easy to keep a stable Release build for day-to-day work while testing Preview features on your own terms, for example, stricter encryption defaults in newer versions are easier to test in Preview before rolling into daily use.

If you regularly manage multiple environments, keeping separate Release and Preview installs also reduces the risk of unexpected behaviour changes during critical work. Older SSMS versions can still coexist as well, though if you still have a 2014-era SSMS install hanging around, it’s probably time to let it go.

Updating SSMS

SSMS updates frequently, and Microsoft expects it to stay current. How updates should be handled depends mainly on where SSMS is installed and how that machine is used:

As a rule of thumb: shared or controlled systems update deliberately via the Visual Studio Installer, personal workstations are usually fine with in-app updates. In environments where stability matters more than convenience, treat SSMS like any other client dependency, update intentionally, validate once, then standardise.

Update Channels

SSMS is released through two channels: Release, the stable, supported build intended for everyday DBA work, and Preview, which provides early access to upcoming changes before they land in Release.

Each SSMS installation follows a single channel, and different installations on the same machine can use different channels if needed. Switching channels installs the latest version available on that channel, it does not roll versions backwards. For most DBAs, the sensible default is to run Release and forget about it.

Notable Improvements in Recent Releases

Rather than listing version numbers, these are the changes that actually matter day to day.

64-bit SSMS

SSMS is now fully 64-bit, which improves stability, memory handling, and performance with large result sets. If you regularly work with large environments, this is a meaningful improvement.

UI and Usability Improvements

Recent versions introduced refined connection dialogs, better layout customisation, improved high-DPI handling, and expanded theme support (dark mode & more). To change your theme in SSMS, go to Tools → Themes at the top menu bar, or from the same tab inside Options → Environment.

Git Integration and Copilot

SSMS now includes native Git integration and optional AI-assisted features via Copilot. Whether you use them or not, they signal where Microsoft is taking the tooling. They’re optional, not required, and easy to ignore if they don’t fit your workflow.

Copilot is also not the only way to pair SSMS with AI. If you work with Claude or any assistant that speaks MCP, the sqldba MCP server hands it this site’s verified reference for errors, wait types and build levels, so the answers you get alongside SSMS are checked ones.

Uninstalling SSMS

With modern SSMS releases (21+), the Visual Studio Installer is the supported way to uninstall SSMS. To remove it, open the Visual Studio Installer, locate SQL Server Management Studio, select More, and choose Uninstall. The installer cleanly removes SSMS and all associated components.

Older methods such as removing SSMS via Add / Remove Programs (appwiz.cpl) only apply to legacy MSI-based versions. For current SSMS releases, the Visual Studio Installer owns the full install and uninstall lifecycle.

Final Thoughts

SSMS is no longer a static tool. It behaves like a regularly updated client application, and DBAs should treat it that way. The important decisions aren’t about features, they’re about when updates apply, which channel you follow, and where SSMS is installed. Once you understand the model, SSMS becomes easier to manage, not harder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related

For a full map of SSMS setup, configuration, and troubleshooting content on this site, see the SSMS Complete Guide.