While Microsoft has officially ended support for SQL Server 2008 R2, you can still download the management tools and installers through archived official links and legacy bundles.
A minimum of 1 GB RAM (4 GB recommended) and approximately 2 GB of free disk space for the management tools alone. Installation Guide Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 3 download sql management studio 2008 r2
If you already have the 2008 R2 tools installed, you should apply the SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 3 to ensure you have the final set of security and performance fixes. While Microsoft has officially ended support for SQL
For those requiring the Standard or Enterprise installation media, the Internet Archive hosts ISO images for historical preservation, though these require your own valid product key. System Requirements & Prerequisites For those requiring the Standard or Enterprise installation
PowerShell 1.0 or higher is required for certain management tasks.
Officially supports Windows XP through Windows 7 and Windows Server 2003 through 2008 R2. Compatibility on Windows 10/11 is not guaranteed and often requires running the installer in "Compatibility Mode".