isolation level cheatsheet

DBCC USEROPTIONS will show default settings

Set Option        Value

isolation level    read committed

to avoid locks where the data is does not have to be perfect

SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL

    { READ UNCOMMITTED

    | READ COMMITTED

    | REPEATABLE READ

    | SNAPSHOT

    | SERIALIZABLE

    }

SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL READ UNCOMMITTED

Select etc …

SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL READ UNCOMMITTED

Or 

Select * from trans with (nolock)