Installing SQL Server 2000 Desktop Edition

Download MSDE 2000 Release A

This will download a compress executable file MSDE2000A which is SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine with SP3a (8.00.760)

Executing this will expand to a folder C:\MSDERalA\

From a command line navigate to this folder and execute on of the following:

To install a default instance configured to use the default Windows Authentication Mode, just pass in the SAPWD="AStrongSAPwd" switch where AStrongSAPwd is a strong password for the "sa" account.

C:\MSDERalA\>setup SAPWD="AStrongSAPwd"

To install a named instance include the INSTANCENAME="InstanceName" switch.  To use mixed mode Windows Authentication and SQL authentication use the SECURITYMODE=SQL switch.

C:\MSDERalA\>setup INSTANCENAME="MyInstance" SECURITYMODE=SQL SAPWD="AStrongSAPwd"


To start SQL Server, go to Start->Run and type sqlmangr.exe to bring up the sql server service manager.  You can start the service using it and set it to start when OS starts.

Now open a command prompt and attempt connecting using osql

C:\>osql -E


Resources:
How to obtain and install SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000)
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/324998
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;810826
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322336/EN-US/