How to Identify Your SQL Server Version and Edition

There are several ways to determine the version of SQL Server that is installed. This article will go over a few of the most common methods to find the current SQL Server version number and the corresponding service pack (SP) level.

GUI tools Methods:

Method 1: Using SQL Server Management Studio

The SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is the integrated environment for managing your SQL Server infrastructure. Management Studio is now a completely standalone product, not tied to any specific version or edition of SQL Server, and no longer requires licensing of any kind.

Option A: Object Explorer

Connect to the server by using Object Explorer in SQL Server Management Studio. When Object Explorer is connected, it shows version information in parentheses.

Option B: Server Properties dialog

Option C: Execute SQL statement

Method 2: Windows Explorer – file properties

Path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.SQL2017\MSSQL\Binn

File: sqlservr.exe

Method 3: Windows Registry editor

Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL{MajorVersion}.{InstanceName}\Setup Value: PatchLevel

Example:

SQL Server 2017 (→ major version "14"), instance name "SQL2017"

Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.SQL2017\Setup

Method 4: SQL Server ERRORLOG file

Path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL{MajorVersion}.{InstanceName}\MSSQL\Log File: ERRORLOG (without extension)

Example:

SQL Server 2017 (→ major version "14"), instance name "SQL2017"

Path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.SQL2017\MSSQL\Log

CLI (command line) Methods:

Possible SQL statements:

SELECT @@VERSION;

Typical results:

Microsoft SQL Server 2017 (RTM-CU13-OD) (KB4483666) - 14.0.3049.1 (X64)
Dec 15 2018 11:16:42
Copyright (C) 2017 Microsoft Corporation
Developer Edition (64-bit) on Windows 10 Pro 10.0 <X64> (Build 17763: )
(1 row affected)

Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (RTM-GDR) (KB4517790) - 15.0.2070.41 (X64)
Oct 28 2019 19:56:59
Copyright (C) 2019 Microsoft Corporation
Developer Edition (64-bit) on Windows 10 Pro 10.0 <X64> (Build 17763: )
(1 row affected)

-or-

SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('ProductVersion') AS ProductVersion,
SERVERPROPERTY('ProductLevel') AS ProductLevel, SERVERPROPERTY('Edition') AS Edition, SERVERPROPERTY('ProductUpdateLevel') AS ProductUpdateLevel, SERVERPROPERTY('ProductUpdateReference') AS ProductUpdateReference;

Typical result:

-or-

EXEC sys.xp_msver;

Typical result:

You can also use specific option:

EXEC sys.xp_msver 'ProductVersion';

Typical result:

Method 5: SQLCMD Utility

SQLCMD is a part of the SQL Server Client Tools.

Example:

sqlcmd.exe -S ServerName\InstanceName -E -Q "SELECT @@VERSION"

Method 6: OSQL Utility

OSQL is a part of the SQL Server Client Tools (obsolete but still functional).

Example:

osql.exe -S ServerName\InstanceName -E -Q "SELECT @@VERSION"

Method 7: Windows PowerShell

Example:

# The SQLPS module must be installed
Import-Module SQLPS
Invoke-SqlCmd -ServerInstance ".\SQL2017" -Query "SELECT @@VERSION"