To get STATISTICS TIME and IO for every query, tick two boxes in the SSMS options once instead of typing SET STATISTICS in each window. This post builds a small demo, reads the output line by line, shows that a SELECT and an UPDATE both report their cost, and explains which windows the option affects.
Estimated Plan With a Temp Table: Why It Guesses One Row
An estimated plan for code that fills a temp table guesses one row for every read of that table. This post compares the estimated plan and the actual plan on SQL Server 2025, shows where the numbers split, and explains when to trust each one.
Priority Boost in SQL Server: Check It and Turn It Off
Priority boost sounds like a speed setting, but it can make a server slower. This post explains what the option does, checks it with a query that works when Management Studio doesn’t show it, prints the statements that turn it off with their undo, and explains why a restart is needed.
Box Selection in SSMS: Four Edits With the ALT Key
Box selection in SSMS selects vertical text: hold the ALT key and drag the mouse across the text. This post shows four edits that the box makes quick: typing on many lines at once, deleting a column, pasting a column into a column, and moving lines with the arrow keys. Each result is a query that runs.
Select Vertical Text in SSMS: Alt Shift and Arrow Keys
To select vertical text in SSMS, hold Alt and drag with the mouse, or hold Alt and Shift and press the arrow keys. This post explains what a vertical selection does, how to edit many lines at once and how to turn a pasted column into an IN list. It also shows a T-SQL alternative for long lists.
Remove Completion Time From the SSMS Messages Tab
To remove completion time from the Messages tab in SSMS, clear one check box in the options. This post gives the exact steps for SSMS 22, explains why no T-SQL setting controls the line and says why old query windows keep showing it. It also shows how to print a time yourself, when a script needs one.
Idle CPU Condition in SQL Server Agent: How It Works
The idle CPU condition tells SQL Server Agent when the CPUs are quiet enough to start a job. This post shows where to set it, how the two numbers work and how to create the schedule. It also reads the CPU history of your server in T-SQL, so you can choose values that the server can actually meet.