Mainstream support for SAP IQ 16.1 ended several years ago, but extended maintenance may be available for paying customers. Most users now deploy SAP IQ 16.1 SP05 or have upgraded to 16.1 SP06/SP07 (or newer major versions like 16.3).
If you’re just learning, consider SAP IQ 16.1 SP05 – it’s the most stable 16.1 service pack.
Assuming you have legally obtained iq161_winx64.zip (approximately 2–3 GB), here is how to deploy it properly:
iq_license.dat into the $SYBASE/SYSAM-2_0/licenses directory. Without this, the database engine will shut down immediately after starting.start_iq -start demo.db
Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes regarding legacy software. Sybase IQ is now a part of SAP’s product suite (SAP IQ). Downloading "full" or "cracked" versions from unofficial sources is illegal and violates software licensing agreements. To obtain a legal copy, you must have a valid SAP support contract or request a trial from SAP.