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SQL Server 2025 express not abiding by command line installation parameters like previous versions

Dave Williamson 1 Reputation point
2026-03-10T19:36:27.5166667+00:00

Problem report:
Using the RTM installation of SQL Server 2025 Express with the following command line installation options results in unexpected behavior

/QS /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS /SUPPRESSPRIVACYSTATEMENTNOTICE /ACTION="install" /FEATURES=SQLEngine /INSTANCENAME=SQLExpress /SECURITYMODE=SQL /SAPWD=mypassword /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS="\Administrators"

Unexpected behavior:

  1. sa account is disabled
  2. sql engine is set to windows authentication only instead of mixed sql and windows instead of abiding by the SECURITYMODE directive
  3. installer prompts user for installation directory instead of using the default and abiding by the QS directive
SQL Server | Other
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  1. Dave Williamson 1 Reputation point
    2026-03-10T20:13:03.5833333+00:00

    Upon further investigation the SQL Server installation logs did NOT show any of the command line installation option values. Digging further we determined the SQL Server 2025 Express installation as provided by

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-downloads

    is not the installer that is applicable to the command line options but rather an installer this installer downloads.

    The SQL2025-SSEI-Expr.exe installer has its own set of command line options and it does not pass along the command line to the subsequently downloaded and executed installer. However, downloading the subsequent installer and then executing it independently with the command line options works as expected.

    SQL2025-SSEI-Expr.exe (with CL options) --> SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe --> bad day

    SQLEXPR_x64_ENU.exe (with CL options) --> good day

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