>>>I cannot use the latest SQL Server because some of my customers still use SQL Server 2008. So when I do any work, it has to be compatible with the customers.
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>>Compatibility check is definately a candidate for VM. With todays HW and possible problems with OS and AV, your development environment perhaps as well ;-))
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>Compatibility check, sure.
>
>Installing a whole VM just because SQL server flatly refuses to even consider having a backup in a format which could be readable by its previous version... well, ridiculous upon ridiculous. The only reason I run two versions of SQL server in parallel (yes you can and no it doesn't hurt) is the customers who have them.

Yes and no... Having parallel installs will make hosing the OS more painful. The ability to copy the whole backend of smaller customers WITH their possible registry SNAFUs is sometimes helpful, although I have to admit to banging my head on (fire)walls and running into IP traps in such cases regularly ;-)