How to install SQL Server Developer on a Snapdragon Laptop

Question

How to install SQL Server Developer on a Snapdragon Laptop

Robert Watson 0

I got a new Dell laptop that has a Snapdragon processor and am unable to install SQL Server. Is there a procedure for doing this? If the solution is emulation, then is there a procedure for setting up emulation too? Thanks

Mike Brooks 0 Reputation points

2025-12-13T22:37:31.5566667+00:00

I bought a Dell XPS13, 9345, at Best Buy with the assurance that it would run SQL. We, it didn’t and they wouldn’t take it back, Microsoft customer support said they almost were finished with version that would run on Snapdragon. That wasn’t true. We were misled. I’ve keys done my development work on Windows machines (some patents: US5311000, US5440110, US4879456, US4963719, US5198649, US6618162, WO2000043863A1 - A9, etc. inventor, OTDR, etc. but I figure Microsoft & Best Buy deceived me for quick money. That computer is still in its original box, under my bed. I’m developing on a Linux platform and writing white papers on a MacBook Air. I’m done with Microsoft.
Erland Sommarskog 128.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-12-13T22:45:59.14+00:00

I can't speak for Best Buy but this sounds bad:

Microsoft customer support said they almost were finished with version that would run on Snapdragon.

I have heard no announcements that support for SQL Server on ARM is coming. And given the market where Microsoft makes real money from SQL Server, that is production servers, I don't expect ARM support coming any time soon. What they might have referred to though is x64 emulation good enough to permit SQL Server to run on ARM.

Actually, I know that some people have been able to get LocalDB working on Surface with ARM processor.
Mike Brooks 0 Reputation points

2025-12-13T22:59:30.6633333+00:00

You were bilked. Thousands of developers were cheated. Microsoft’s answer is to delete complaints from customers.

3 answers

Your answer

Mike Brooks 0 Reputation points

2025-12-13T22:37:31.5566667+00:00

I bought a Dell XPS13, 9345, at Best Buy with the assurance that it would run SQL. We, it didn’t and they wouldn’t take it back, Microsoft customer support said they almost were finished with version that would run on Snapdragon. That wasn’t true. We were misled. I’ve keys done my development work on Windows machines (some patents: US5311000, US5440110, US4879456, US4963719, US5198649, US6618162, WO2000043863A1 - A9, etc. inventor, OTDR, etc. but I figure Microsoft & Best Buy deceived me for quick money. That computer is still in its original box, under my bed. I’m developing on a Linux platform and writing white papers on a MacBook Air. I’m done with Microsoft.
Erland Sommarskog 128.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-12-13T22:45:59.14+00:00

I can't speak for Best Buy but this sounds bad:

Microsoft customer support said they almost were finished with version that would run on Snapdragon.

I have heard no announcements that support for SQL Server on ARM is coming. And given the market where Microsoft makes real money from SQL Server, that is production servers, I don't expect ARM support coming any time soon. What they might have referred to though is x64 emulation good enough to permit SQL Server to run on ARM.

Actually, I know that some people have been able to get LocalDB working on Surface with ARM processor.
Mike Brooks 0 Reputation points

2025-12-13T22:59:30.6633333+00:00

You were bilked. Thousands of developers were cheated. Microsoft’s answer is to delete complaints from customers.

Answer 1

while the visual studio database tools were updated to support arm, there is no sqlserver support for arm processors and windows x86 emulation does not support sqlserver.

other than using a cloud hosted sqlserver, currently your only windows option is the Azure SQL Edge docker image. support for this product ends this year, and the arm version is out of support. but you can still pull the arm image. edge is based on azure sql, and somewhere between sqlserver 2019 & sqlserver 2022.

https://hub.docker.com/r/microsoft/azure-sql-edge

note: I run this on my arm Macs (M1/M4), but as Mac docker, unlike windows, supports amd64 images (via rosetta), I may switch to the SQLServer 2025 amd64 container.

Answer 2

Erland Sommarskog 128.9K MVP Volunteer Moderator

It's an uphill battle, since SQL Server does not run on ARM.

There is an emulation: https://quic.hkg1.meaqua.org/en-us/windows/arm/apps-on-arm-x86-emulation. Please don't ask about the details, I don't use ARM-based computers myself.

I have heard of some people being successful in installing LocalDB on their Surface Pro, so if you are going to try, stick to LocalDB.

Mike Brooks 0 Reputation points

2025-12-13T22:54:45.7766667+00:00

We were told it would run on ARM! Microsoft told US that they had a version just about ready for release. No one had any idea we were being taken for a ride until June even then, retailers were pushing Snspdragon based machines hard either the assurance that they would run everything the Intel based machines ran, only faster snd better. I honestly feel cheated and stopped work on a non/intrusive blood panel invention that used Microsoft SQL for the absorbtion frequency and test results tables. I switched to Linux MySQL & Code::Blocks. Microsoft disappointed an entire community of developers so did Best Buy. They owe us an apology and new computers.

Answer 3

Olaf Helper 47,586

SQL Server is only supported an x64 Intel/AMD processor architectur, not on ARM.

Mike Brooks 0 Reputation points

2025-12-13T22:56:06.1533333+00:00

Because customers were told it WOULD support SQL right up until June.

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How to install SQL Server Developer on a Snapdragon Laptop

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