Figuring out what components of SQL Server are installed on a particular machine has always been a task that has aggravated me. Telling what services have been installed is pretty easy, discovering if the backwards compatibility components were installed, for example, is a bit more difficult. Well recently I found a great method. I’m sure there are better ways to do it as this particular one has two major flaws. You have to be logged into the machine in question and it only works on one machine at a time. Not good if you are dealing with a large enterprise and have to review everything at once. Fortunately most of the time I have to perform this particular task I’m only dealing with one machine. I still don’t like the restriction that I have to remote to the box but I haven’t found a way around it yet. If you know a better way feel free to mention it in the comments.

In the mean time if you look in your Microsoft SQL Server 20xx folders you will see the SQL Server 20xx Installation Center. Open that and go to the tools tab. The second option is the Installed SQL Server features discovery report.

And when you run it you get this handy dandy little report.