Click the Add Current User button at the bottom to grant your current Windows account administrative rights over the database.

Note that SQL Server is supported on x64 processors only – it no longer supports x86 processors.

Microsoft does not officially distribute the Express edition as a .iso file. Choosing the "Download Media" option inside the bootstrapper gives you a standalone package that functions exactly like an extracted ISO. Does the offline installer contain Cumulative Updates (CU)?

If you have third-party security software, you'll need to configure similar exceptions in that software as well.

Supports up to 1 physical processor , 1 GB of RAM , and a 10 GB maximum database size .

Do you need to store complex text data that requires features?

: Antivirus software can interfere with SQL Server installation. Temporarily disable it during installation.

SSMS is distributed as a separate installer. To install it offline:

Click to save the SQL2022-SSEI-Expr.exe file (approx. 4-5 MB) to your local machine. Step 2: Extract the Standalone Setup Files