Please use the check for updates feature during setup, regardless of which approach you take.
They usually only post new downloads to MSDN when they have built a fresh ISO with a new service pack slipstreamed, though I don’t know how that will change with their frequent changes to the servicing model and release strategy. Note that the ISO you ultimately get, whether it is extracted or not, is RTM, so it does not have the GDR fix from KB #3164398, and it won’t be updated with any CUs, either. My fear is not that private data will be transmitted to Microsoft and they will use it in some nefarious way, but rather that someone with HIPAA or similar constraints will inadvertently go out of compliance, and I don’t even fully comprehend the potential scope of consequences there.
I suspect most users of these free editions either won’t notice this change (which is why folks like Brent and I try to beat the drums about it), or will notice but won’t go to the effort to disable it. Further, they have made it a bit harder for users of the free editions (Evaluation, Developer, and Express) to turn off this phone-home functionality ( I show how in a post back in April). As you can read about in KB #3153756, Connect #2775205, and a Brent Ozar blog post, the collection of feature usage data has switched from a default of opt-out in previous versions to a default of opt-in in SQL Server 2016. But for anyone using any of the free editions of SQL Server 2016, you’re already giving up something else to get it: telemetry data. And about that free lunch.Īn e-mail address is a small price to pay for Developer Edition. If you want the extracted setup files instead of an ISO, stick with the approach using the Custom option I described above. When it’s complete, you will find an ISO file ( SQLServer2016-圆4-ENU-Dev.iso, not the extracted contents), which you can mount and run setup from. This route really shouldn’t be dismissed, IMHO - again, other than giving up an e-mail address, there’s nothing to lose.Īnd when you click Download, you will be waiting on this screen for a bit:
And note that the link to the KB at the bottom is currently incorrect it should be KB 316 4398.)Ī few people have objected to signing up for Dev Essentials, but in addition to providing ready access to SQL Server 2016, there are a bunch of other benefits too, such as free access to PluralSight. (This screen will also offer ISOs of SQL Server 2014 Developer Edition.
Once you’ve clicked download again, you’ll get this screen, which allows you to download a traditional ISO which you can mount or burn to a physical DVD if you’re into that sort of thing: Then you’ll need to click «Download» again.
When you click «Download» you will be asked to confirm the prompt, below right. You’ll arrive on a screen with a bunch of tiles, including this one, below left. Click Join Now, and you’ll be offered three options: to sign in with your work or school account (you may already have access to Visual Studio Dev Essentials), to sign in with your Microsoft account (hotmail/outlook), or to create a new Microsoft account (which you can do if you just want to create a throwaway account for this):