Login into SQL Server using Windows Authentication.
In Object Explorer, open Security folder, open Logins folder. Right Click on SA account and go to Properties.
Change SA password, and confirm it. Click OK.
Make sure to restart the SQL Server and all its services and test new password by log into system using SA login and new password.
Reference : Pinal Dave (https://darkslategrey-bat-805937.hostingersite.com)
UPDATE : There has been discussion about restarting the SQL Server and all its services. Please read all of them before making final decision for your scenario.
262 Comments. Leave new
Hi Pinal,
I have downloaded SqlExpress 2005 and management studio. My PC usec windows 7 OS.
I am unable to login using neither the windows authentiaction nor the sa login.
Please let me know how i can login.
Regards,
Abhilash Rao
Hi,
I have installed sql server and didn’t set sa password, I setup only windows authentication. Now I want to set sa password. What do I have to do?
Please help me.
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Thanks Pinal. This article was useful to me.
Please help Dave. Can I set a password for one of my database in sql server 2008 R2.
I have probs in connection string. I doubt this could be the problem.
Thanks in Advance. Your article is good
Hi Dave,
You are article`s are so good and catchy. I am not so strong in SQL but Whenever I have a query, I refer to your articles and can make out a good conclusion as per your guidelines and suggestions. And make things work for me. Thanks for all the efforts in bringing everything concerned to SQL under one roof. And All the suggestions and posts available in this blog are of great help.
I also have one more query, Which I faced very recently during my application development phase using .net. i.e. I am restoring backup through custom backup/restore utility. After successful restoration, Even after restarting SQL services, I was not able to run the application and it raises an error stating Invalid login Credentials. On checking the log, I found error:18456, state:14 ;severity:38.
Can you Please help me out in resolving this by providing your valuable suggestion?
Is this a way to enable ‘sa’ user without using ssms?
because I setup an app on the client machine with sql server express edition and without ssms, so i need to enable ‘sa’ after installition.
HI sir,
Good one.
Thanks you helped me a lot.
Thnx PINAL Sir
thanks. it worked.
Hi Pinal,
It was great & worked for me. In my scenario i must have to restart server to get SA password properly. I am not concerned about restarting or not but in my case it’s worked for me & i will suggest everyone to restart there server after taking downtime.
Regards,
Sayed
Hi All,
What Pinal said is absolutely rite! we have to restart the services, if we don’t restart the SQL Server and all its services, then all the scheduled jobs will get fail.
So, its better to restart SQL Server and all its services
thanks
This does not change sa password in WinXP Home.Password change but when login sa messg:”The user is not associated with trusted sql server con”
Sorry, for not reading all the comments till bottom, I used this, and it worked :
The following article should help you resolve the problem:
Disaster Recovery: What to do when the SA account password is lost in SQL Server 2005
Hi… I need a little help, hope someone can give me a hint on this.
I am running an SQL 2000 Server with 7 databases, 30 programmed tasks running Stored Procedures (DTS) every 15 minutes, and Oracle linked servers against which we run queries and inserts.
Historically in this company, “sa” user has always been left with no password.
Last week we decided to put a bit more security, so we changed every connection string in our applications so each one will use its own login user and password. The goal is to leave “sa” unused by applications, and then finally set a password for it, and use it only for internal server purposes.
After succesfully creating logins and changing all connections strings, now I am ready to set a password for sa. I did it first in test environment, and everything worked fine (I had to re-connect the server to Enterprise Manager with sa and password, and then edit the connections inside packages to set sa password, so all programmed tasks will run normally).
The problem is that when I did this in production server, even when I set the password for sa in all packages’ connections, the tasks will give error (Error: -2147217843 (80040E4D); Provider Error 18456 (4818))
Any help will be appreciated
hi …
I am using visual studio 2008 for .aspx project dev using vb.net..
VS 2008 is coming with sql server 2005 and COMPACT 3.5 too..I want to use sql server 2005…but its not connecting from VS 2008.
SO PLEASE HELP ME IF ANY ALTERATION REQUIRED FOR IT OR WHAT TO DO.MINE IS WIN 7 HOME BASIC OS..
and also tell me connection strings for both of the above in vb.net code…
thanks
pls help any one
Hi Dave,
there a way how to crack the password of sa in sql2005?
Very good blog with the issue resolved. Thanks for the help.
HELLO SIR,
CUD U PLZ TELL HOW TO DISABLE WINDOWS AUTHENTICATION IN SQL SERVER 2005
Hi Folks
when I enable SA, it is having a default password. Is there any way to get this password?
Regards
Chenchi
HI all
Your comments are very helpfull so do comments .
Regards
Sandeep