Day 0: One-time setup


Level	Beginner
Estimated time	About 1 h 15 min (most of it waiting for installers)
Prerequisites	A Windows 10 or 11 (x64) computer on which you can install software as an administrator; about 10 GB free disk space; an internet connection
Outcome	SQL Server 2025 Standard Developer and SSMS 22 installed, the `RetailLab` training database built, and all 25 validation checks passing

Work or corporate laptop? Installing a database server needs local administrator rights, and many organisations block it through device policy. If the installer will not start or is blocked, ask your IT team for an approved installation or use a personal computer. Do not try to work around your organisation’s controls.

1. What you are installing, and why

Component	What it is	Analogy
SQL Server 2025 Standard Developer	The database engine: a Windows service that stores data and runs your T-SQL. Free for development and testing; not licensed for production use.	The kitchen
SSMS 22 (SQL Server Management Studio)	A Windows application where you write queries, run them and see results.	The order pad and serving hatch
RetailLab	The training database you will build inside SQL Server from the course scripts.	Today’s ingredients

SSMS and SQL Server are separate installs. SSMS can connect to many servers; here it connects to the one on your own computer, called localhost.

2. Install SQL Server 2025 Standard Developer

Go to Microsoft’s SQL Server downloads page: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-downloads.
Under the free developer editions, download the SQL Server 2025 developer installer. At the time of writing it downloads a small launcher named SQL2025-SSEI-EntDev.exe. The launcher fetches the rest during installation.
Run the launcher. When asked for an installation type, choose Custom (not Basic), because Custom lets you pick the edition. Accept the default media location and select Install. The launcher downloads the setup files (a few minutes) and opens the SQL Server Installation Center.
In the Installation Center, select Installation → New SQL Server standalone installation or add features to an existing installation.
Work through the wizard pages:

Wizard page	What to choose
Edition	Select Specify a free edition and choose Standard Developer. If only Enterprise Developer is offered, choose it — every lesson runs unchanged on it.
License Terms	Accept.
Microsoft Update	Your choice. Turning it on keeps the engine patched.
Install Rules	A Windows Firewall warning is normal and can be ignored for a local-only install. Any Failed rule must be fixed before continuing (see section 8).
Azure Extension for SQL Server	Clear the checkbox. It connects the server to Azure management services and is not needed for this course.
Feature Selection	Tick Database Engine Services only. Nothing else is needed.
Instance Configuration	Choose Default instance (instance ID `MSSQLSERVER`). This lets you connect with the server name `localhost`.
Server Configuration	Leave the default service accounts.
Database Engine Configuration → Server Configuration tab	Keep Windows authentication mode. Under Specify SQL Server administrators, select Add Current User. Your Windows account then has full control of this instance.
Ready to Install	Select Install. Expect 5–15 minutes.

When the Complete page shows Succeeded for Database Engine Services, close the wizard and the Installation Center.

Check: press Windows + R, type services.msc, press Enter and find SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER). Its status should be Running.

3. Install SSMS 22

Download the SSMS 22 installer from Microsoft: https://aka.ms/ssms/22/release/vs_SSMS.exe. (Overview page: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ssms/install/install.)
Run vs_SSMS.exe and choose Yes if User Account Control asks. It first installs the Visual Studio Installer, which then installs SSMS.
Accept the terms, leave the default selection (the core SSMS components are all this course needs) and select Install.
When it finishes, start SQL Server Management Studio 22 from the Start menu. Signing in to sync settings is optional; you can skip it.

4. Connect to your server

When SSMS starts, the Connect to Server dialog opens. (If it does not, select File → Connect Object Explorer.)

Field	Value	Why
Server type	Database Engine
Server name	`localhost`	The default instance on this computer. `.` and `(local)` also work.
Authentication	Windows Authentication	Uses the account you added as an administrator during setup
Encryption	Mandatory (default)	SSMS encrypts connections by default
Trust server certificate	Ticked	A fresh local installation uses a self-signed certificate that Windows does not trust. Ticking this box skips certificate validation. That is acceptable for a private local training server; on shared or production servers, use a trusted certificate instead.

Select Connect. Object Explorer (left pane) now shows your server with folders such as Databases and Security.

5. Get the course scripts

Create the folder C:\RetailLab\scripts\setup.
Download the six files — all at once as a zip file, or one at a time from the table below — and copy them into it:

File	Purpose	Destructive?
`00_create_database.sql`	Creates the empty `RetailLab` database (drops it first if it already exists)	Yes — removes RetailLab only
`01_create_tables.sql`	Creates the schemas, tables and constraints	No
`02_load_core_data.sql`	Loads the core Ridgeway Outdoor data in one transaction	No
`03_validate_core_data.sql`	Runs 25 read-only checks	No
`04_reset_training_data.sql`	Runs 00 → 03 in one go (needs SQLCMD Mode)	Yes — removes RetailLab only
`05_generate_performance_data.sql`	Builds the large `Perf` dataset for Week 4. Don’t run it now — Day 22 tells you when	Yes — drops and recreates the `Perf` tables only

You can use another folder; if you do, update the path inside 04_reset_training_data.sql before you use it.

6. Build the training database

Run the first four scripts in order. For each one:

In SSMS, select File → Open → File… (Ctrl + O) and open the script.
Look at the Available Databases drop-down on the SSMS toolbar. You do not need to change it: every script starts with a USE statement that switches to the right database.
Select Execute on the toolbar, or press F5.
Read the Messages tab at the bottom. Confirm there are no red error messages before moving on.

Order	Script	What you should see
1	`00_create_database.sql`	A results grid with one row: `RetailLab`, `170`, `Latin1_General_100_CI_AS`, `SIMPLE`
2	`01_create_tables.sql`	Message: Schemas and tables created.
3	`02_load_core_data.sql`	Message: Core data loaded. Now run 03_validate_core_data.sql.
4	`03_validate_core_data.sql`	A 25-row grid where every Status is `PASS`, then a summary row: ALL 25 CHECKS PASSED - RetailLab is ready.

In Object Explorer, right-click Databases and select Refresh. Expand RetailLab → Tables: you should see 13 tables, such as HR.Employee, Sales.SalesOrder and Staging.CustomerImport.

How the reset script works

04_reset_training_data.sql uses SQLCMD Mode, a feature of SSMS that understands extra commands beginning with a colon, such as :r (run another file). To use it:

Open the script and select Query → SQLCMD Mode. SQLCMD lines are highlighted in grey.
Check that the :setvar ScriptFolder line points to your scripts folder.
Press F5.

You will use this whenever a lesson asks you to start from a clean state. If you prefer, simply run scripts 00 to 03 one after another instead.

7. Confirm everything works

Open a new query window (New Query on the toolbar, or Ctrl + N), paste the following and press F5:

USE RetailLab;
GO

SELECT  @@SERVERNAME                    AS ServerName,
        SERVERPROPERTY('Edition')       AS Edition,
        SERVERPROPERTY('ProductVersion') AS ProductVersion,
        DB_NAME()                       AS CurrentDatabase,
        (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM Sales.SalesOrder) AS OrderCount;

Expected result: one row where Edition contains Developer, ProductVersion starts with 17., CurrentDatabase is RetailLab and OrderCount is 376. Your server name is your computer’s name.

If you see all of that, setup is complete.

8. Troubleshooting setup and connection problems

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
The launcher or setup will not start, or says it is blocked by policy	No administrator rights, or device policy on a managed computer	Ask your IT team, or use a personal computer
An Install Rules item shows Failed	Usually a pending Windows restart or missing Windows updates	Restart Windows, install pending updates and run setup again
Setup rejects the selected edition on Windows 10/11	The edition is not supported on a client operating system	Go back to the Edition page and choose Standard Developer
A network-related or instance-specific error occurred… when connecting	The service is not running, or you installed a named instance	Check `services.msc`: start SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER). If you installed a named instance such as `SQL2025`, connect to `localhost\SQL2025`
The certificate chain was issued by an authority that is not trusted	Self-signed certificate on the local instance	Tick Trust server certificate in the connection dialog (section 4)
Login failed for user ‘COMPUTER\you’	Your Windows account was not added as a SQL Server administrator	Sign in to Windows with the account that installed SQL Server, or re-run setup, choose Add features to an existing instance, and add your account
`00_create_database.sql` fails with permission denied in database ‘master’	Your login cannot create databases	Same fix as above: your account needs to be a SQL Server administrator on this training instance
`01_create_tables.sql` fails with There is already an object named …	Script 01 has already been run	Run `00`, `01` and `02` again in order
`02_load_core_data.sql` fails with Violation of PRIMARY KEY constraint	Data has already been loaded	Run `00`, `01` and `02` again in order. Because script 02 runs in one transaction, a failed run leaves no partial data
Incorrect syntax near ‘:’ when running the reset script	SQLCMD Mode is off	Select Query → SQLCMD Mode and run it again
A fatal scripting error occurred… Could not find file in the reset script	The `ScriptFolder` path is wrong	Correct the path on the `:setvar` line; keep the quotes
New tables do not appear in Object Explorer	Object Explorer does not refresh automatically	Right-click the Tables folder and select Refresh
Red squiggly lines under valid table names	SSMS’s IntelliSense cache is out of date	Select Edit → IntelliSense → Refresh Local Cache (Ctrl + Shift + R)
Validation shows a `FAIL`	A script was skipped or a later change altered the data	Run the reset script, then `03_validate_core_data.sql` again

9. Completion checklist

SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) shows as Running in services.msc.
SSMS 22 connects to localhost with Windows Authentication.
03_validate_core_data.sql reports ALL 25 CHECKS PASSED.
The confirmation query in section 7 returns OrderCount = 376.
You know how to run 04_reset_training_data.sql in SQLCMD Mode.

By the end of this lesson you can