I found lots of queries in different forums regarding the installation of SQL Server 2005. If you don't have any other instances of SQL server running on the machine, the usual "Next -> next ... " will do. Now, if you have already SQL Server 2000 already installed on your machine, then the above approach won't be ideal, will just install the client tools only. So, what's to be taken care, you need to install 2005 as a 'Named' instance if you have any plans for multiple sql server installations or already one instance is running.
So, What you are waiting for ? Put the SQL Server 2005 CD/DVD on your CD/DVD drive and start Installation.
Step1 : As with every setups, the Fist Step is accepting the EULA.
Step 2 : Now the installation will check for the pre-requisites
Once these validations are over, it will start installation
Next step is the System configuration Check
Once the configuration check is complete, the actual Installation starts
Now you need to select the components to install
here comes the most Important part of the setup
Once you click ‘next’, it will ask for whether to install SQL Server 2005 as a Default Instance or as a Named Instance.
This is very critical, if you have already have an SQL Server 2000 installed on your machine. If the SQL 2000 instance is the ‘default’ instance and you are trying to overwrite that installation with the 2005, it will just install the client tools and no server components will get installed. So you won’t get the new features of SQL Server 2005. As you can see in the following diagram, I have chosen a named instance “SQL2005_1”
That's all, now you can continue the installation by the usual "Next->Next->Next..".
The next screen prompts you to select service account details,if you wish, you can select different accounts for each services.
Authentication Mode : this is also very important, if you are installing on a "development / QE" machine, better go for "Mixed Authentication Mode". Make sure that you put a complex password (something like your car registration number)
Now you can see, what are going on during the installation; what components are getting installed and what components "Failed"
If you find all "Green", your installation is successful.
That's all. you can now start working on SQL Server 2005.
