sql server express download for windows 7

Now to get around your issue, if you truly need SQL 2016 rather than installing SQL 2014 or SQL 2012, both of which are supported by Windows 7.

I might have missed the version of SQL 2016 you're trying to install but since the developer edition is free I am going to assume that is the one. This is also another requirement for SQL 2016.

You also need to look at if your OS is 64bit. This means that if you are not on service pack 1 it's already not supported by Microsoft. The reason may be because windows 7 is on extended support. It appears the requirements for SQL 2016 you need windows 8 or greater. So resorting to Virtual Machine seems the only option (by the way I'm using VMware, not VirtualBox). Tried to downgrade to Windows 7 after upgrading to Windows 10 and installing SQL Server 2016 on Windows 10, but with no success (strange but after downgrade I don't see SQL Server 2016). Also I am talking about express edition of SQL Server. I want to find way just to overcome OS limitation. I'm familiar with virtual machine and upgrading to Windows 10 options but I don't like them. Or are there any software to make SQL Server installer think that my windows verion is higher?.Are there any tricks or hacks that can either fake windows version (registy hacks, replace system dll etc)?.And also as I suppose there is no serious changes in system core. But I'm sure that these limitations are artificial to force users to buy newer versions of Windows. I know it's clearly stated in System Requirements that Windows 7 is not supported.

Sql server express download for windows 7