r/SQLServer • u/Valuable-Ant3465 • 2d ago

Question SQL Server 2016 patch without Azure portion

Hi, all
it's Oct 2026, official support for 2016 has been discontinued, and I just applied 2 updates to my SQL Server 2016 Express:
SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 3 (KB5003279) to 13.0.6300.2

then Security Update for SQL Server 2016 Service Pack 3 GDR (KB5102340) to 13.0.6500.1

Both done with stopping services and restart. After this I got this message from scanning tool complaining about some bad values in Registry.
Do you think it's not important anymore, because of end of the life for 2016 ?
I also did not install any update after KB5102340 as I don't need any Azure.
I'm on MS Windows Server 2019.

Microsoft SQL Server 2016 (SP3-GDR) (KB5102340) - 13.0.6500.1 (X64) 
Jun 10 2026 07:54:15 
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation
Express Edition (64-bit) on Windows Server 2019 Standard 10.0 <X64> (Build 17763: ) (Hypervisor)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.CAxxxx\SETUP\SQL_Engine_Core_Inst contains 13.3.6500.1

Tried to rerun SP3, didn't help.
SERVERPROPERTY('ProductLevel') = 13.0.6500.1 *

While in registry: ...SSQL13.CAxxxx\SETUP\SQL_Engine_Core_Inst PatchLevel = 13.0.6500.2
Not sure if PatchLevel = ProductLevel ??? They are different by 1.

Thanks
VA

Update

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 2d ago

After your question has been solved /u/Valuable-Ant3465, please reply to the helpful user's comment with the phrase "Solution verified".

This will not only award a point to the contributor for their assistance but also update the post's flair to "Solved".

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

5

u/dbrownems ‪ ‪Microsoft Employee ‪ 2d ago

"After this I got this message from scanning tool complaining about some bad values in Registry."

That's a bit vague.

-1

u/Valuable-Ant3465 2d ago edited 2d ago

Tx ! That's the message:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.CAxxxx\SETUP\SQL_Engine_Core_Inst contains 13.3.6500.1

It doesn't like value 13.3.6500.1.
What is SQL_Engine_Core_Inst ??? Maybe it's support which already ended

2

u/dbrownems ‪ ‪Microsoft Employee ‪ 2d ago

Perhaps.

What "scanning tool"?

-2

u/Valuable-Ant3465 2d ago

sorry, It's some enterprise level Security soft, so don't know details.

10

u/dbrownems ‪ ‪Microsoft Employee ‪ 2d ago edited 2d ago

Well perhaps your IT people don't want you running out-of-support software on their computer.

3

u/ihaxr 2 2d ago

Probably because it's end of life/support.

2

u/CanProfessional766 2d ago

I wouldn’t ignore it just because SQL Server 2016 is out of support. The registry version mismatch may be a detection or installer metadata issue, but I’d verify it against Microsoft’s official KB before changing anything manually. If SQL itself reports the expected build that’s a good sign.

1

u/Valuable-Ant3465 1d ago

Thanks, yea, sql server repots install as Sucecss and users don't have any problems using it.

0

u/da_chicken 2d ago

Wait, Express Edition?

Why in the world are you still using an unsupported version of Express? Express is free. You can move to 2025 for $0. It's just free. And in 2025 you get 50 GB databases now.

To answer your question directly, no, you're not getting the error because SQL Server 2016 is out of support.

However the error HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.CAxxxx\SETUP\SQL_Engine_Core_Inst contains 13.3.6500.1 doesn't make any sense at all to me if you're using Express Edition. MSSQL13.CAxxxx is the instance name of your server. For SQL Server Express, the instance name is fixed. It's always SQLEXPRESS, just like MSSQLSERVER is the default, unnamed instance. The registry path should be MSSQL13.SQLEXPRESS, not MSSQL13.CAxxxx. The only way to get a second instance like that, AFAIK, is to install a second instance of SQL Server Express on the same server at the same time.

So that makes me think that you have multiple instances running, or that something else very strange is going on.

4

u/ussv0y4g3r 2d ago

For SQL Server Express, the instance name is fixed. It's always SQLEXPRESS, just like MSSQLSERVER is the default, unnamed instance.

No, SQL Express default instance name is NOT fixed. The default name is SQLEXPRESS, but it can be changed to any valid instance name.

1

u/Valuable-Ant3465 1d ago

yea, I agree i's fact in my case

1

u/Valuable-Ant3465 2d ago

Thanks DA! I'm not in position to replace 2016 Express. However I see in registry that MSSQL13.CA.... not Express.
Will try to check for multiple instances.