Install SQL Server 2008 from the Command Prompt

Installing a new instance of SQL Server at the command prompt enables you to specify the features to install and how they should be configured. You can also specify silent, basic, or full interaction with the Setup user interface.

Note: When installing through the command prompt, SQL Server supports full quiet mode by using the /Q parameter or Quiet Simple mode by using the /QS parameter. The /QS switch only shows progress, does not accept any input, and displays no error messages if encountered. The /QS parameter is only supported when /Action=install is specified.

Command prompt installation is supported in the following scenarios:

- Installing, upgrading, or removing an instance and shared components of SQL Server 2008 on a local computer by using syntax and parameters specified at the command prompt.
- Installing, upgrading, or removing a failover cluster instance.
- Upgrading from one SQL Server 2008 edition to another edition of SQL Server 2008.
- Installing an instance of SQL Server 2008 on a local computer by using syntax and parameters specified in a configuration file. You can use this method to copy an installation configuration to multiple computers, or to install multiple nodes of a failover cluster installation.

When you install SQL Server at the command prompt, specify Setup parameters for your installation at the command prompt as part of your installation syntax.

Note: For local installations, you must run Setup as an administrator. If you install SQL Server from a remote share, you must use a domain account that has read and execute permissions on the remote share. For failover cluster installations, you must be a local administrator with permissions to login as a service, and to act as part of the operating system on all failover cluster nodes.

Proper Use of Setup Parameters

Use the following guidelines to develop installation commands that have correct syntax:

- /PARAMETER
- /PARAMETER=true/false
- /PARAMETER=1/0 for Boolean types
- /PARAMETER="value" for all single-value parameters. Using double quotation marks is recommended, but required if the value contains a space
- /PARAMETER="value1" "value2" "value3" for all multiple-value parameters. Using double quotation marks is recommended, but required if the value contains a space

Exceptions:

- /FEATURES, which is a multivalued parameter, but its format is /FEATURES=AS,RS,IS without a space, comma-delimited
Note the use of escaping characters
- /INSTANCEDIR=c:\PathName is supported.
- /INSTANCEDIR=c:\PathName\ is supported
- /INSTANCEDIR="c:\PathName\\" is supported.
- /INSTANCEDIR="c:\PathName\" is not supported.