Steps to install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express Edition (Standard or with Advanced Services)

Preliminary

Sometimes, the hurry is prior to every task. And sometimes, the deployment of a secure and ready database is necessary when development will be in few minutes. So, in my experience, I have depicted and tested severel times the following steps to install and deploy a SQL Server 2008 database (this apply also for a SQL Server 2008 R2 version).

Pre-requisites

All pre-requisites work in Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 environment, but they may be applied to Windows Desktops editions (XP, Vista, Seven (7)). Whatever is the case, the steps must be executed with the Administrator account.


Steps
1. First, check if the following components are really installed (and tested) at least.
1.1. Windows Installer 4.51.2. .NET FrameWork 3.51.3. .NET FrameWork 3.5 SP11.4. Windows PowerShell 1.0
2. Verify if the Administrator's password is complex (with numbers and letters, including upper and lower case letters).

3. Create a limited account (never an administrator account) with a complex password. This account will be associated with the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 service.

4. Open a command window (Is necessary to remember ? If yes, here goes: Click Start, Click Execute, Type cmd, and Press ENTER) And write this line:

netsh firewall set portopening protocol = TCP port = 1433 name = SQLPort mode = ENABLE scope = SUBNET profile = CURRENT

5. This step apply only for XP, Vista, 7: Stop the firewall service

6. Execute the installation of SQL Server product SQLEXPR_x86_ENU.exe (or SQLEXPRADV_x86_ENU.exe)

7. When installation process prompted by accounts service, write the machine and limited account name posted in step 3 for all services. Select [Add Current User] to assign the actual user (that is the Administrator account)

8. Follow the instructions of wizard.

9. This step apply only for XP, Vista, 7: Start the firewall service

10. Restart the machine

11. After machine restarting, If service packs products are available, execute SQLServer2008SP1-KB968369-x64-ENU.exe to apply Service Pack 1 SQL Server 2008 system requirements

12. Open policies management tool and apply the following features:
12.1. Deny access to this computer from the network.
12.2. Deny logon locally.
12.3. Deny logon as a batch job.
12.4. Deny logon through Terminal Services.
12.5. Log on as a service.


SQL Server 2008 is ready to use !!