New SQL2005 installation - What SP2 to download

  • I am about to install SQL2005 on 3 new separate servers. What version of SP2 do I need to download and where do I get it?

    This will be a new install on each server. Do I install RTM and then SP2? Or RTM, SP2, hotfixes?

    thanks,

  • You can obtain SP2 (Build 3042) here -

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=d07219b2-1e23-49c8-8f0c-63fa18f26d3a&displaylang=en

    For a list of builds after SP2 (Build 3228 is the latest cumulative update) -

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937137

    Install RTM, apply SP2 followed by hotfixes.

  • Thank you for the reply.

  • NP 🙂

  • However, 3159 is the last public cumulative rollup (without having to request the hf specifically from MS)...

    How many of you do contact MS for these pss-only oriented cumulative rollups (not the mini-hotfixes that appear on occasion)?

    Your friendly High-Tech Janitor... 🙂

  • I was only going to download the public rollup.

  • I'm currently running 3215. A number of fixes have been introduced for SSAS.

  • Interesting, thanks for the information, Tommy.

    I wonder what a poll of who does vs. who doesn't, would show?

    Your friendly High-Tech Janitor... 🙂

  • If you already have a site standard SQL Server 2005 build, then probably that is what you should use.

    If you are introducing SQL Server 2005 to your site, I see no reason to prevent you taking the latest (or latest but 1) CU as part of your build. You already know that SQL Server 2005 RTM has bugs. You know that SP2 has bugs (less then RTM, but still bugs). You know that the latest CU update has bugs (less than SP2, but still bugs). Why spend time testing SP2 when you could spend the same time testing with CU5 or CU6. A number of issues you find with SP2 will be fixed with the latest CU, so you deliver a better product to your customers.

    Once you have a standard build, that is the time to think carefully about how and when you upgrade. Now that MS is releasing CUs every 2 or 3 months, I think it is good practice to plan 1 or 2 maintenance slots each year where you upgrade to the latest available (or latest but 1) CU. Most Windows administrators do this for the OS, and there is no reason why SQL should get frozen in time.

    Original author: https://github.com/SQL-FineBuild/Common/wiki/ 1-click install and best practice configuration of SQL Server 2019, 2017 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008 R2, 2008 and 2005.

    When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor they call me a communist - Archbishop Hélder Câmara

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