SQL Server 2014 Express Edition: silent install

Question

We are trying to install in silent mode the Express Edition of SQL Server 2014 SP2 using an installer that can be downloaded from the Microsoft Evaluation Center. This is the download link:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-sql-server-2014-sp2/

This installer gives the following possibilities:

Select the Express edition
Select the Evaluation edition (valid for 180 days)
Insert a license for an Enterprise or Standard Edition

I need to install SQL Server 2014 SP2 Express Edition in silent mode, using the command line parameters and/or a configuration file with the correct options.

However, we cannot find information about which option should be included in the command line or in the configuration file to select Express Edition instead of the Enterprise Edition for Evaluation (by default, the Evaluation option is selected).

This is the script we are using to install SQL Server 2014 SP2 in silent mode (it installs SQL Server in Enterprise Evaluation mode):

Setup.exe /Q ^
          /action=Install ^
          /ERRORREPORTING=1 ^
          /INDICATEPROGRESS=true ^
          /TCPENABLED=1 ^
          /SKIPRULES=PerfMonCounterNotCorruptedCheck ^
          /features="SQLEngine, FullText, SSMS, ADV_SSMS, SNAC_SDK" ^
          /INSTANCENAME=GEMINIS ^
          /INSTALLSQLDATADIR="C:\SQL SERVER 2014" ^
          /INSTANCEDIR="C:\SQL SERVER 2014" ^
          /SQLSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" ^
          /SQLSVCSTARTUPTYPE=Automatic ^
          /AGTSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" ^
          /AGTSVCSTARTUPTYPE=Disabled ^
          /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS ^
          /ROLE=AllFeatures_WithDefaults ^
          /SECURITYMODE=SQL ^
          /SAPWD="password37" ^
          /SQLCOLLATION="SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS"

Once the installation process has finished, the SQL Server is in Enterprise Evaluation mode.

What do we have to change in the command line or in the configuration file to install the Express edtion?

Just to clarify my problem, we have to deliver a installer to our customer. This installer must deploy several SW components in silent mode. One of these SW components is SQL Server 2014 SP2.

This installer will provide to the customer the possibility to select Express or Enterprise Evaluation. He will make the decision depending on his license availability.

So now, we have two different options:

Option 1: Integrate in our installer two different installers for SQL Server 2014 SP2, one for Express and other for Enterprise and, depending on the customer choice, use the right installer.

Option 2: Integrate in our installer only the SQL Server 2014 SP2 downloaded from the link at the beginning of the post and, depending on the customer choice, use this installer with the right set of parameters.

The advantage of Option 2 is basically the size. With this option, our installer will have integrated only one SQL Server installer instead of two with option 1. This means:

less time to compile and build our installer
less time to test the installer
less time to handle the installer
less space to store it
...

Thanks in advance.....

You would start by downloading SQL Server Express, not SQL Server 2014. In essence you have downloaded the wrong thing. — Sean Lange
Unless you want to install on Windows Server 2008 R2, you should probably download a newer version of SQL Server Express too. — Panagiotis Kanavos
The problem we have is that sometimes we have to install Express and sometimes we have to install an Enterprise Evaluation so this Evaluation installer we downloaded is the right choice. — A.Escalera

Dalibor Grudenic Dalibor Grudenic · Accepted Answer · 2018-12-11T16:18:24

Hi here is documentation for available options. You can also try direct Express Edition installation link. I just downloaded SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe 314MB file from the second link. Unpacked it in some temp folder and run the same code above but with stronger password like gqmPv4eSbcJhj2wScN instead of password37 because that will fail. 5 minutes down the road you'll get your database installed with your script.

Setup.exe /Q ^
          /action=Install ^
          /ERRORREPORTING=1 ^
          /INDICATEPROGRESS=true ^
          /TCPENABLED=1 ^
          /SKIPRULES=PerfMonCounterNotCorruptedCheck ^
          /features="SQLEngine, FullText, SSMS, ADV_SSMS, SNAC_SDK" ^
          /INSTANCENAME=GEMINIS ^
          /INSTALLSQLDATADIR="C:\SQL SERVER 2014" ^
          /INSTANCEDIR="C:\SQL SERVER 2014" ^
          /SQLSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" ^
          /SQLSVCSTARTUPTYPE=Automatic ^
          /AGTSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" ^
          /AGTSVCSTARTUPTYPE=Disabled ^
          /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS ^
          /ROLE=AllFeatures_WithDefaults ^
          /SECURITYMODE=SQL ^
          /SAPWD="gqmPv4eSbcJhj2wScN" ^
          /SQLCOLLATION="SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS"

SQL Server 2014 Express Edition: silent install

2 Answers