additional edits

Author: haywoodsloan

support/sql/releases/find-my-sql-version.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: Find the Version and Edition of Your SQL Server Database Engine
-description: Learn how to find your the version and edition of your SQL Server Database Engine using methods like SSMS, error logs, T-SQL queries, and more.
-ms.date: 01/21/2025
+description: Learn how to find the version and edition of your SQL Server Database Engine using methods like SSMS, error logs, T-SQL queries, and more.
+ms.date: 01/21/2026
 ms.topic: how-to
 ms.custom: sap:Installation, Patching, Upgrade, Uninstall
 ms.reviewer: jopilov, v-shaywood
@@ -17,30 +17,30 @@ _Original KB number:_   321185
 
 ## Summary
 
-Knowing your SQL Server Database Engine version and edition is essential for troubleshooting, planning upgrades, and ensuring compatibility. This article explains several methods to determine this information, including SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), error log files, T-SQL queries, and the SQL Server Installation Center.
+Knowing your SQL Server Database Engine version and edition is essential for troubleshooting, planning upgrades, and ensuring compatibility with other components. This article explains several methods to find this information, including SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), error log files, T-SQL queries, and the SQL Server Installation Center.
 
-> [!NOTE]  
-> The version information follows the `major.minor.build.revision` pattern. The "revision" information is typically not used when checking the version of SQL Server.
+> [!NOTE]
+> The version information follows the `major.minor.build.revision` pattern. The _revision_ information typically isn't used when you check the SQL Server version.
 
 ## Choose your method to determine version and edition
 
 | Method                                                                         | Best for                   | Requirements                      |
 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
 | [Object Explorer (SSMS)](#use-object-explorer-in-sql-server-management-studio) | Quick visual check         | SSMS installed, server connection |
 | [Errorlog file](#view-the-errorlog-file)                                       | No connection needed       | File system access                |
-| [SELECT @@VERSION](#run-the-query-select-version)                              | Scripting and automation   | Query access                      |
+| [SELECT @@VERSION](#run-the-select-version-query)                              | Scripting and automation   | Query access                      |
 | [SERVERPROPERTY](#use-the-serverproperty-function)                             | Individual property values | Query access                      |
 | [Discovery report](#use-the-installed-sql-server-features-discovery-report)    | All instances on system    | Local access only                 |
 
 ## Use Object Explorer in SQL Server Management Studio
 
-Connect to the server by using Object Explorer in [SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)](/sql/ssms/sql-server-management-studio-ssms). Once connected, the version information will be displayed in parentheses, along with the username used to connect to the specific instance of SQL Server. 
+Connect to the server by using Object Explorer in [SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)](/sql/ssms/sql-server-management-studio-ssms). After you connect, the version information appears in parentheses, along with the username that you used to connect to the specific instance of SQL Server.
 
-For more information on how to connect to SQL Server using Object Explorer, see [Connect to a SQL Server or Azure SQL Database](/sql/ssms/object/connect-to-an-instance-from-object-explorer).
+To learn how to connect to SQL Server by using Object Explorer, see [Connect to a SQL Server or Azure SQL Database](/sql/ssms/object/connect-to-an-instance-from-object-explorer).
 
 ## View the Errorlog file
 
-Look at the first few lines of the `Errorlog` file for that instance. By default, the error log is located at `Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.n\MSSQL\LOG\ERRORLOG` in `ERRORLOG.n` files. The entries may resemble the following one:
+Check the first few lines of the `Errorlog` file for that instance. By default, the error log is located at `Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.n\MSSQL\LOG\ERRORLOG` in `ERRORLOG.n` files. The entries might resemble the following example:
 
 ```output
 2024-09-05 16:56:22.35 Server      Microsoft SQL Server 2022 (RTM-CU14) (KB5038325) - 16.0.4135.4 (X64)  
@@ -49,63 +49,64 @@ Copyright (C) 2022 Microsoft Corporation
 Developer Edition (64-bit) on Windows 11 Enterprise 10.0 <X64> (Build 22631: ) (Hypervisor)
 ```
 
-This entry provides information about the product, such as version, product level, 64-bit versus 32-bit, the edition of SQL Server, and the OS version on which SQL Server is running.
+This entry provides product information like version, product level, 64-bit versus 32-bit architecture, the SQL Server edition, and the operating system version that SQL Server runs on.
 
-## Run the query "SELECT @@VERSION"
+## Run the SELECT @@VERSION query
 
 Connect to the instance of SQL Server, and then run the following query:
 
 ```sql
 SELECT @@VERSION
 ```
 
-Here's an example of the output of this query:
+The following example shows the output of this query:
 
 ```output
 Microsoft SQL Server 2022 (RTM-CU14) (KB5038325) - 16.0.4135.4 (X64)   Jul 10 2024 14:09:09   Copyright (C) 2022 Microsoft Corporation  Developer Edition (64-bit) on Windows 11 Enterprise 10.0 <X64> (Build 22631: ) (Hypervisor) 
 ```
 
-From the output, you can determine the SQL Server product's version, service pack level, cumulative update level, or security update level (if applicable).
+From the output, you can identify the SQL Server product version, [service pack](/troubleshoot/sql/releases/download-and-install-latest-updates#service-packs) level, [cumulative update](/troubleshoot/sql/releases/download-and-install-latest-updates#cumulative-updates) level, or [security update](/troubleshoot/sql/releases/download-and-install-latest-updates#security-updates) level (if applicable).
 
 ## Use the SERVERPROPERTY function
 
 Connect to the instance of SQL Server, and then run the following query in [SSMS](/sql/ssms/sql-server-management-studio-ssms):
 
 ```sql
-SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('productversion'), SERVERPROPERTY ('productlevel'), SERVERPROPERTY ('edition')
+SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('productversion'), SERVERPROPERTY('productlevel'), SERVERPROPERTY('edition')
 ```
 
-The following results are returned:
+This query returns the following results:
 
 - The product version (for example, 16.0.4135.4)
 - The product level (for example, RTM)
 - The edition (for example, Developer)
 
-For example, the results resemble the following.
+For example, the results might look like this:
 
 | Product version | Product level | Edition                    |
 | --------------- | ------------- | -------------------------- |
 | 16.0.4135.4     | RTM           | Developer Edition (64-bit) |
 
 > [!NOTE]
 >
-> - The `SERVERPROPERTY` function returns individual properties related to the version information, although the `@@VERSION` function combines the output into one string. If your application requires individual property strings, you can use the `SERVERPROPERTY` function to return them instead of parsing the `@@VERSION` results.
+> - The `SERVERPROPERTY` function returns individual properties related to version information, while the `@@VERSION` function combines the output into one string. If your application requires individual property strings, use the `SERVERPROPERTY` function to return them instead of parsing the `@@VERSION` results.
 >
-> - This method also works for SQL Azure Database instances. For more information, see [SERVERPROPERTY (Transact-SQL)](/sql/t-sql/functions/serverproperty-transact-sql).
+> - This method also works for [Azure SQL Database](/azure/azure-sql/database/sql-database-paas-overview) instances. For more information, see [SERVERPROPERTY (Transact-SQL)](/sql/t-sql/functions/serverproperty-transact-sql).
 >
-> - Starting with [SQL Server 2014 RTM Cumulative Update 10](https://support.microsoft.com/help/3094220) and [SQL Server 2014 Service Pack 1 Cumulative Update 3](https://support.microsoft.com/help/3094221), additional properties have been added to the `SERVERPROPERTY` statement. For a complete list, see [SERVERPROPERTY (Transact-SQL)](/sql/t-sql/functions/serverproperty-transact-sql).
+> - Starting with [SQL Server 2014 RTM Cumulative Update 10](https://support.microsoft.com/help/3094220) and [SQL Server 2014 Service Pack 1 Cumulative Update 3](https://support.microsoft.com/help/3094221), more properties were added to `SERVERPROPERTY`. For a complete list, see [SERVERPROPERTY (Transact-SQL)](/sql/t-sql/functions/serverproperty-transact-sql).
 
-## Use the "Installed SQL Server features discovery report"
+## Use the Installed SQL Server features discovery report
 
-You can find the **Installed SQL Server features discovery report** on the **Tools** page of the SQL Server Installation Center. This report provides information about all the instances of SQL Server that are installed on the system, including client tools such as SSMS. Note that this tool can be run locally only on the system where SQL Server is installed. It can't be used to obtain information about remote servers. 
+Find the **Installed SQL Server features discovery report** on the **Tools** page of the SQL Server Installation Center. This report provides information about all the SQL Server instances installed on the system, including client tools like SSMS. This tool runs locally only on the system where SQL Server is installed. It can't get information about remote servers.
 
 For more information, see [Validate a SQL Server Installation](/sql/database-engine/install-windows/validate-a-sql-server-installation).
 
-A snapshot of a sample report is as follows:
+The following image shows a sample report:
 
-:::image type="content" source="media/find-my-sql-version/sample-report.svg" alt-text="Screenshot shows a sample SQL Server 2016 Setup Discovery report." border="false":::
+:::image type="content" source="media/find-my-sql-version/sample-report.svg" alt-text="Screenshot that shows a sample SQL Server 2016 Setup Discovery report." border="false":::
 
-## See also
+## Related content
 
 - [Determine version information of SQL Server components and client tools](components-client-tools-versions.md)
-- [Latest updates and version history for SQL Server](download-and-install-latest-updates.md)
+- [Latest updates and version history for SQL Server](download-and-install-latest-updates.md)
+- [SQL Server installation guide](/sql/database-engine/install-windows/install-sql-server)