Downloading and Updating Books Online

Microsoft periodically publishes downloadable updates to SQL Server 2005 Books Online. By installing these updates, you keep your local copy of the documentation current.

Downloading SQL Server Books Online

The SQL Server 2005 Books Online Web site contains the latest version of SQL Server 2005 Books Online. You can use the download file to install a new copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online on your computer. If you already have an older copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online installed on your computer, you can use the download file to update that copy.

Updating an Existing Copy of Books Online

The easiest way to update a local copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online is to use the Microsoft Update service. Alternatively, you can use the SQL Server 2005 Books Online download file.

Updating Books Online by Using Microsoft Update

In May, 2007 SQL Server 2005 Books Online was added as an optional software update to the Microsoft Update service. Future updates of SQL Server Books Online will also be published in Microsoft Update.

You can use either Microsoft Update or Windows Update to scan your computer for optional updates to Microsoft software. If the scan finds an older version of SQL Server 2005 Books Online on your computer, the latest version of SQL Server 2005 Books Online is included in the list of available updates. To download and install the SQL Server 2005 Books Online update, select the check box for the update, and then click Install.

For more information about Microsoft Update, see the Microsoft Update Web page.

Updating Books Online by Using a Download File

SQL Server 2005 Books Online, September, 2007 and later updates list the month and year of an update in two locations:

• Each SQL Server Books Online topic lists the update version immediately above the topic title.
• The update version is listed in the title bar of the DExplore Help viewer if you open SQL Server 2005 Books Online from either the SQL Server program group or from SQL Server Management Studio.

The SQL Server 2005 Books Online download Web page lists the date of the update at the top of the page. Compare the date of your local copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online with the date of the update on the download Web site. In the following situations, you should update your local copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online by installing the update from the Web site:

• The date listed on the download page is newer than the date listed by the version of SQL Server 2005 Books Online on your computer.

• There is no date listed above the topic title in the copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online on your computer.

  Note

  SQL Server 2005 Books Online as it is installed by SQL Server 2005 Setup does not display a date.

Updatable Copies of Books Online

There are three ways to access SQL Server 2005 Books Online:

• The local copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online installed on your computer. This is the only copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online you can update with either Microsoft Update or a SQL Server 2005 Books Online download.
• A copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online in the online MSDN Library. You cannot update this copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online. Microsoft updates this copy every time that a new version of SQL Server 2005 Books Online is released.
• A copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online in a local copy of the MSDN Library if you have installed the MSDN Library on your computer. This copy of SQL Server 2005 Books Online is updated when you install the latest update to the MSDN Library.

In addition, if a user installs Business Intelligence Development Studio, SQL Server 2005 Books Online, and the MSDN Library, two copies of SQL Server 2005 Books Online appear in the table of contents. One of these was installed by the MSDN Library, and the other by SQL Server. To avoid duplicate SQL Server 2005 Books Online topics in search and index results, remove the MSDN Library copy of SQL Server Books Online. Open Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel, select MSDNLibrary for Visual Studio 2005, and then click Change. For more information, see Adding and Removing Help Collections

See Also

Concepts

Using SQL Server Books Online
Audiences and InfoCenters

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance

Change History