Install SQL Server without reboot

Posted on by Andy

When installing SQL Server 2012 one can run into “‘Reboot required check failed” situation. This is in many production environments a total no-go. Here is a simple workaround for that:

  • open the windows registry editor 
  • find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager
  • rename temporarily PendingFileRenameOperations to PendingFileRenameOperations-BAK
  • install SQL Server
  • when install finished, rename it back.

There you go… SQL Server installed without a reboot.