SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 2016: Download and Installation Steps

How to Download and Use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 2016

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is a software application that allows you to manage, configure, administer, and develop all components of SQL Server, from databases and data warehouses, to queries and scripts. It is a comprehensive tool that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) as well as a rich script editor for working with SQL Server objects and features.

In this article, you will learn how to download, install, and use SSMS 2016, which is the latest version of SSMS available for SQL Server 2014 and higher. You will also learn some tips and tricks for using SSMS 2016 effectively, as well as some common issues and solutions that you may encounter while working with SSMS 2016.

ssms download 2016

What is SSMS and why use it?

SSMS stands for SQL Server Management Studio, which is an integrated environment for managing any SQL infrastructure, from SQL Server to Azure SQL Database. SSMS provides tools to configure, monitor, and administer instances of SQL Server and databases. You can use SSMS to deploy, monitor, and upgrade the data-tier components used by your applications, as well as build queries and scripts.

You can use SSMS to query, design, and manage your databases and data warehouses, wherever they are - on your local computer or in the cloud. You can also use SSMS to connect to other SQL Server services, such as Analysis Services, Integration Services, Reporting Services, etc.

SSMS is very popular and widely used by database developers and administrators because of the following advantages:

• It is free of cost

• It provides an advanced user experience

• It offers various add-in options

• It supports easy installation

What are the benefits and features of SSMS 2016?

SSMS 2016 is the latest version of SSMS that works with SQL Server 2014 and higher. It provides the most significant level of support for working with the latest cloud features in Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, Microsoft Fabric Warehouse in Microsoft Fabric SSMS 2016 also has many new and improved features that make it easier and more efficient to work with SQL Server and Azure SQL Database. Some of these features are:

• Always Encrypted - a feature that protects sensitive data by encrypting it on the client side and preventing the server from accessing the encryption keys

• Stretch Database - a feature that allows you to migrate your historical data transparently and securely to Azure SQL Database, while keeping your hot data on-premises

• Query Store - a feature that captures a history of queries, plans, and runtime statistics, and retains them for your review

• Live Query Statistics - a feature that displays the live execution plan of an active query, showing the data flow and the query performance

• JSON support - a feature that allows you to parse and store JSON data in SQL Server, as well as query and modify it using T-SQL

What are the prerequisites and requirements for SSMS 2016?

Before you download and install SSMS 2016, you need to make sure that your computer meets the following prerequisites and requirements:

• You need to have Windows 7 SP1 or higher as your operating system

• You need to have .NET Framework 4.6.1 or higher installed on your computer

• You need to have at least 2 GB of available hard disk space for SSMS 2016 installation files

• You need to have at least 4 GB of RAM for optimal performance of SSMS 2016

• You need to have a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher for better visibility of SSMS 2016 interface

Downloading SSMS 2016

Once you have verified that your computer meets the prerequisites and requirements for SSMS 2016, you can proceed to download the installation files from the SQL Server download page. Here are the steps to follow:

• Go to the and scroll down to the Tools section.

• Click on the Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) link.

• You will be redirected to a new page where you can choose the edition and language of SSMS 2016 that you want to download.

• Select the edition that matches your SQL Server version. For example, if you have SQL Server 2016 Express Edition, you should download SSMS 2016 Express Edition.

• Select the language that you prefer. For example, if you want to use SSMS 2016 in English, you should select English.

• Click on the Download button next to your chosen edition and language.

• You will be prompted to save the installation file (SSMS-Setup-ENU.exe) on your computer. Choose a location where you want to save it and click Save.

Installing SSMS 2016

After you have downloaded the installation file for SSMS 2016, you can run it to start the setup wizard. Here are the steps to follow:

• Locate the installation file (SSMS-Setup-ENU.exe) on your computer and double-click on it.

• You will see a User Account Control dialog box asking you if you want to allow this app to make changes to your device. Click Yes.

• You will see a welcome screen with some information about SSMS 2016. Click Install.

• The setup wizard will check for product updates and install them if available. This may take some time depending on your internet connection speed.

• The setup wizard will extract and install the setup files for SSMS 2016. This may also take some time depending on your computer speed.

• The setup wizard will display a license terms screen where you need to accept the license terms and conditions for SSMS 2016. Click Accept.

• The setup wizard will display a feature selection screen where you can choose which features and components of SSMS 2016 you want to install. You can either select all features by clicking Select All, or select specific features by checking or unchecking the boxes next to them. You can also change the installation location by clicking Browse and choosing a different folder. Click Install.

• The setup wizard will install the selected features and components of SSMS 2016. This may take several minutes depending on your computer speed.

The setup wizard will display a configuration screen where you can configure some settings and options for SSMS 2016. You can either use the default settings by clicking Next, or customize them by clicking Options. Some of the settings and options that you can configure are:

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