When you install SQL Server 2012 by default it installs only the Help viewer and its related components. It doesn't install any help documentation locally and user has to go online for checking any reference. But that concept won't work for me as I have installed SQL Server 2012 in a laptop which doesn't have internet connection at all.
Download SQL Server 2012 Product Documentation
So I was searching for 'downloadable version of SQL Server 2012 product documentation' and I found it here - http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=347.
I downloaded SQLServer2012Documentation.exe which was approx 204 MB and ran the exe which created a folder named "SQLServer2012Documentation" and extracted the following:
- Folder named "Packages" which had 25 CAB files (cabinet files)
- Four HTML document (book1, book2, book3, product1)
- One MSHA file (HelpContentSetup.msha)
So over all 30 items are extracted.
Installing the SQL Server 2012 Product Documentation
1. Goto Start > Program files > SQL Server 2012 >> Documentation & Community >> Manage Help Settings
2. Click on the link "Choose online or local help" and then choose "I want to use local help" before clicking on OK button.
3. Click 'Install content from disk' and browse to the directory where you unpacked the downloaded EXE.
4. Select the HelpContentSetup.msha file (MSHA = Microsoft Help Asset File) and click Open.
5. Click Next.
6. There will be 3 option listed: Books Online, Developer Reference, Installation and besides each of them there would be an 'Add' link.
7. Just click on the 'Add' link next to the documentation you want to install and click on 'Update' button.
8. Continue option 7 until you have installed all the documentation you wanted.
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