How to Install Localdb Separately

How to install localdb separately?

From MSDN

The primary method of installing LocalDB is by using the
SqlLocalDB.msi program. LocalDB is an option when installing any SKU
of SQL Server 2012 Express. Select LocalDB on the Feature Selection
page during installation of SQL Server Express. There can be only one
installation of the LocalDB binary files for each major SQL Server
Database Engine version. Multiple Database Engine processes can be
started and will all use the same binaries. An instance of the SQL
Server Database Engine started as the LocalDB has the same limitations
as SQL Server Express

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Or you can download standalone SqlLocalDB.msi from the list of available downloads on the SQL Express downloading page

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To locate localdb instance on your PC simply try to connect to (localdb)\Projects

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SQL Server Express localdb.msi offline installer

Go to this page:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-editions-express

Click the download link to download and launch the 5 MB installer.

In the Installer, select "Download Media"

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Direct URL: https://download.microsoft.com/download/9/0/7/907AD35F-9F9C-43A5-9789-52470555DB90/ENU/SqlLocalDB.msi

Direct URL for SQL Server 2017 LocalDb: https://download.microsoft.com/download/E/F/2/EF23C21D-7860-4F05-88CE-39AA114B014B/SqlLocalDB.msi

**UPD 2019-03: Current LocalDB version has a bug which can be fixed by installing the latest Cumulative Update (CU)

How to add LocalDB to Visual Studio 2015 Community's SQL Server Object Explorer?

I had the same issue today recently installing VS2015 Community Edition Update 1.

I fixed the problem by just adding the "SQL Server Data Tools" from the VS2015 setup installer... When I ran the installer the first time I selected the "Custom" installation type instead of the "Default". I wanted to see what install options were available but not select anything different than what was already ticked. My assumption was that whatever was already ticked was essentially the default install. But its not.

SQL Server (localdb)\v11.0 explained

LocalDB was introduced in SQL Server 2012 CTP3. It’s basically a new version of SQL Express, with same functionality, dedicated to developers. So you don’t need to install any SQL server. If you have installed SQL 2012 or Visual Studio 11 then you already have it, and it runs over .Net 4 or higher. If you are using Visual Studio 11 and have been playing with the new EntityFramework and MVC, you can see it on the default connection string.
MDF is the default extension for SQL Server database files. (Log files are LDF) Also see this question.
You can restore to a specific folder by using RESTORE DATABASE WITH MOVE as documented on MSDN here.
LocalDB is intended for developers, see point 1.
The SQL Server Express blog has an informative post about LocalDB here.

SQL Server 2016 Developer version can not connect to (LocalDB)\MSSQLLocalDB

LocalDB is a special version of SQL Server Express - if you haven't installed it, you cannot use that server/instance name to connect to it.

You can easily install SQL Server Express LocalDB separately, side-by-side with SQL Server Developer edition - but you need to install it explicitly.

See this other SO question on the topic for more details

VB.NET application setup with LocalDb on client pc

1: Depending on the client PC operation system version, and the .NET version that you target, you may not need to install .NET Framework (Windows 8 and later comes with .NET 4.5)

2: You should not install LocalDB, but the smallest SQL Express package. It contains command line tools to interact with the database.
Go to: https://www.microsoft.com/da-dk/sql-server/sql-server-editions-express
Run the installer, and select "Download media" - "Express Core" to download the SQL Server Express installer

Add SQL Server Express Advanced features to LocalDB installed by Visual Studio

Looks like this cannot be done, unfortunately.

LocalDB is cool, but apparently not all-powerful.

Check out this existing post (among others):

Can't create an index catalog in localdb v\11.0

LocalDB SQL-server version in VS2022

SELECT @@Version from a windows-latest image returns:

Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (RTM-CU12) (KB5004524) - 15.0.4153.1 (X64)
Jul 19 2021 15:37:34
Copyright (C) 2019 Microsoft Corporation
Express Edition (64-bit) on Windows Server 2022 Datacenter 10.0 (Build 20348: ) (Hypervisor)

How to Install Localdb Separately