How to change sa password in SQL Server 2008 express?

Question

I have installed SQL Server 2008 express and logging in through windows authentication, it doesn\'t allow me to do anything. How do i change \'sa\' password or gain full pri

Answer 1

This is what worked for me:

• Close all Sql Server referencing apps.
• Open Services in Control Panel.
• Find the "SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS)" entry and select properties.
• Stop the service (all Sql Server services).
• Enter "-m" at the Start parameters" fields.
• Start the service (click on Start button on General Tab).
• Open a Command Prompt (right click, Run as administrator if needed).

• Enter the command:

  osql -S localhost\SQLEXPRESS -E

  (or change localhost to whatever your PC is called).

• At the prompt type the following commands:

  CREATE LOGIN my_Login_here WITH PASSWORD = 'my_Password_here'

  go

  sp_addsrvrolemember 'my_Login_here', 'sysadmin'

  go

  quit

• Stop the "SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS)" service.

• Remove the "-m" from the Start parameters field (if still there).

• Start the service.

• In Management Studio, use the login and password you just created. This should give it admin permission.

Answer 2

You need to follow the steps described in Troubleshooting: Connecting to SQL Server When System Administrators Are Locked Out and add your own Windows user as a member of sysadmin:

• shutdown MSSQL$EXPRESS service (or whatever the name of your SQL Express service is)
• start add the -m and -f startup parameters (or you can start sqlservr.exe -c -sEXPRESS -m -f from console)
• connect to DAC: sqlcmd -E -A -S .\EXPRESS or from SSMS use admin:.\EXPRESS
• run create login [machinename\username] from windows to create your Windows login in SQL
• run sp_addsrvrolemember 'machinename\username', 'sysadmin'; to make urself sysadmin member
• restart service w/o the -m -f

Answer 3

If you want to change your 'sa' password with SQL Server Management Studio, here are the steps:

1. Login using Windows Authentication and ".\SQLExpress" as Server Name

2. Change server authentication mode - Right click on root, choose Properties, from Security tab select "SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode", click OK

3. Set sa password - Navigate to Security > Logins > sa, right click on it, choose Properties, from General tab set the Password (don't close the window)

4. Grant permission - Go to Status tab, make sure the Grant and Enabled radiobuttons are chosen, click OK

5. Restart SQLEXPRESS service from your local services (Window+R > services.msc)

Answer 4

I didn't know the existing sa password so this is what I did:

1. Open Services in Control Panel

2. Find the "SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS)" entry and select properties

3. Stop the service

4. Enter "-m" at the beginning of the "Start parameters" fields. If there are other parameters there already add a semi-colon after -m;

5. Start the service

6. Open a Command Prompt

Enter the command:

osql -S YourPcName\SQLEXPRESS -E

(change YourPcName to whatever your PC is called).

7. At the prompt type the following commands:

alter login sa enable
go
sp_password NULL,'new_password','sa'
go
quit

8. Stop the "SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS)" service

9. Remove the "-m" from the Start parameters field

10. Start the service

Answer 5

This may help you to reset your sa password for SQL 2008 and 2012

EXEC sp_password NULL, 'yourpassword', 'sa'