This article will walk you through installing and configuring SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).  If you have not already installed SQL Server, you should do so prior to installing SSMS.

1. Visit https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/download-sql-server-management-studio-ssms?view=sql-server-2017
   Scroll down a bit to the download link and download the most recent general availability (GA) version of SSMS.
   
2. Once it finishes downloading, click on it to open the Installer
   
3. Click Install
   
4. Click on the start menu and type SQL Server Management Studio 20 (SSMS).
   Click Open
   
5. In the Connect to Server window
   1. Type (local)
   2. Check in the Trust server certificate checkbox
   3. Click Connect
   
6. Upon successful connection to your SQL Server, SSMS should look similar to the image below
   
7. Click the '+' to expand the following:
   + Databases
   + System Databases
   + master
   + Tables
   Under Tables, select System Tables and press the F7 key on your keyboard.
   
   
8. The F7 key will open Object Explorer Details, we will customize it in the following steps.
   
   
9. Right click on the Schema column and:
   1. Click Policy Health State to uncheck it
   2. Click on Row Count to check it
   When you right-click the Schema column or any column, the pop up menu should look like below:
   
   
10. Now when you view Object Explorer Details you will be able to see a Row Count for each table in your database.
    
11. Click Tools > Options to open the Options menu.
    
12. On the left, navigate to Query Results > SQL Server > Results to Grid
    Be sure the following options are checked:
       1. Include column headers when copying or saving the results
       2. Retain CR/LF on copy or save
       3. Set Non XML data to 2097152
       4. Set XML data to Unlimited
    Click OK
    
13. In the Object Explorer on the left, right click on the name of your server
    Choose Properties
    
14. On the left, click on Memory settings
    Set the following specific Memory Limits
    Minimum server memory in (MB): 4096
    
    
15. Go to Database Settings and ensure your settings are similar to what is shown below.
    Compress backup should be checked.
    For the default locations, this should be the drive you want to use to house your database and log files.
    
    Generally it should be a secondary drive (not the drive your OS is running on).  In my example they are stored on my B drive.
    
    

    In the screen shot below, the following paths are used:
    B:\DBs\
    B:\DBs_BAK\
    You should replace B:\ with the drive letter of the fastest hard drive in your PC.  If you have just one hard drive, this will likely be C:\
    
16.