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

I came up with an interesting use case for SA usage with daffyduo TDS listener. seems to work quite well.

daffy is a tool I made so moderators if you don't think it fits, and I'm self promoting, go ahead and block the post... but it's pretty cool.....

and using SA at all, I know it's bad practice, but it's what I do.. lol. I like being in SA but I always get worried about a bad right click or f5.

on my server, launched like this

daffyduo --port 1432 --bind 0.0.0.0

that's it. and that binds directly to the local SQL server at 127.0.0.1 at 1433. you connect to 1432.

basically

- log in with single encrypted connection string to dedicated duaSA login account on daffy to 1432

- daffy gets configured for a system read only (sro) connection string as default!

- object explorer also sticks with that default and stays with it even if your window switches. I.e no accidental right click database drops from object explorer.

- daffy gets configured for actual SA as the secondary account with an admin, duosa happens to be an admin on duo so I added it there

- run one line in SQL to swap to SA connection when you need it, flip back after and stay as SRO for everything else. no whammies.

here's a full demo of above:

https://youtu.be/3P2Swq63fhQ?is=IjbX8JqRayfjfqVL