Mounting and Installing SQL Server from ISO on Remote Windows Server Without Physical DVD Access


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When dealing with remote Windows servers, especially VPS environments, you often encounter situations where physical media access isn't available. Here's a comprehensive guide to installing SQL Server 2008 Web Edition from an ISO file in such scenarios.

The primary obstacle is mounting the ISO on a remote server where you can't insert physical media. Windows Server 2008 R2 doesn't natively support ISO mounting (this feature came in Windows 8+), so we need alternative approaches.

Several third-party tools can create virtual DVD drives:

# PowerShell example for VirtualCloneDrive silent install
$installerPath = "\\network\share\VCDMount.exe"
$arguments = "/S /v/qn"
Start-Process -FilePath $installerPath -ArgumentList $arguments -Wait

After installation, mount the ISO:

# Mount ISO using VirtualCloneDrive CLI
VCDMount.exe /d=0 "C:\path\to\sql2008.iso"

For systems where third-party software isn't allowed:

Extract ISO Contents

# Using 7-Zip command line
7z x sql2008.iso -oC:\SQL2008_Install

Network Share Alternative

# Share the extracted folder
net share SQLInstall=C:\SQL2008_Install /GRANT:Everyone,READ

When installing SQL Server 2008 from the extracted files:

# Sample unattended installation command
Setup.exe /QS /ACTION=Install /FEATURES=SQL,SSMS /INSTANCENAME=MSSQLSERVER 
/SQLSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE" /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS="Builtin\Administrators" 
/AGTSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE" /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS

Ensure proper firewall rules if installing from network share:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="SQL Install Share" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=445

After installation completes:

# Check SQL Server service status
Get-Service -Name MSSQLSERVER

# Verify version
Invoke-Sqlcmd -Query "SELECT @@VERSION" -ServerInstance "."
  • If using third-party tools, run installation as Administrator
  • For network shares, verify share permissions AND NTFS permissions
  • Check event logs for detailed error messages

When dealing with remote Windows servers (especially VPS instances), you often don't have physical access to mount ISO files through virtual DVD drives. This becomes particularly problematic when you need to install legacy software like SQL Server 2008 that's distributed as ISO images.

The most efficient method is to use PowerShell to mount the ISO virtually. Here's how:

# First, upload your ISO to the server (using SCP, FTP, or RDP file transfer)
# Then execute these PowerShell commands as Administrator:

# Mount the ISO to next available drive letter
Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "C:\path\to\SQLServer2008.iso"

# Get the assigned drive letter
$driveLetter = (Get-DiskImage -ImagePath "C:\path\to\SQLServer2008.iso" | Get-Volume).DriveLetter

# Run the setup from the virtual drive
Start-Process -FilePath "${driveLetter}:\setup.exe" -ArgumentList "/QS /ACTION=Install /FEATURES=SQL,AS,RS,IS /INSTANCENAME=MSSQLSERVER /SQLSVCACCOUNT='NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE' /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS='BUILTIN\ADMINISTRATORS' /AGTSVCACCOUNT='NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE' /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS" -Wait

If mounting isn't possible due to permissions, extract the ISO contents:

# Using 7-Zip command line (install first if needed)
& "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" x -o"C:\SQLServer2008" "C:\path\to\SQLServer2008.iso"

# Then run setup from extracted location
Start-Process -FilePath "C:\SQLServer2008\setup.exe" -ArgumentList "/QS /ACTION=Install /FEATURES=SQL /INSTANCENAME=MSSQLSERVER" -Wait

When installing legacy SQL Server versions:

  • Ensure .NET Framework 3.5 is enabled (required for SQL 2008)
  • Windows Installer 4.5 must be present
  • For Web Edition, verify your license key format
  • Consider using compatibility mode if installing on newer Windows versions

For repeatable deployments, create a PowerShell script that combines all steps:

# Complete automation example
$isoPath = "C:\temp\SQLServer2008.iso"
$extractPath = "C:\SQLServer2008"

# Download ISO if not present
if (-not (Test-Path $isoPath)) {
    Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "http://your-repo/SQLServer2008.iso" -OutFile $isoPath
}

# Extract ISO
if (-not (Test-Path "$extractPath\setup.exe")) {
    & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" x -o$extractPath $isoPath
}

# Install prerequisites
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName NetFx3 -All -NoRestart

# Run silent installation
Start-Process -FilePath "$extractPath\setup.exe" -ArgumentList "/QS /ACTION=Install /FEATURES=SQL /INSTANCENAME=MSSQLSERVER /SECURITYMODE=SQL /SAPWD='YourStrong!Password' /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS" -Wait
  • Error 0x851A0019: Usually indicates missing .NET Framework 3.5
  • Setup hangs: Try running with /QS instead of /Q for verbose logging
  • Permission denied: Ensure script runs as Administrator
  • ISO mount failures: Verify no other processes have the file locked