Wednesday 13 March 2013

SQL SERVER – Change SA account password if you forgot and can only login via SA account with the help of local Windows admin account


Story starts with a Priority 1 (P1) issue when I got call for helpdesk stating that users are claiming that they are not able to connect to production database. As soon as I logged in to database server and tried to connect to SQL Server, I found that I am no more able to login to SQL Serer with sa password I have.
It was password-related issue and it feel that sa account password has been changed during recently happened audit activity due to poor password but I was not having the updated one. My collogue who was involved in audit activity was unreachable at that time and I can't let P1 issue hold in my hand for long time . I am sure that I am not the first person who has faced this issue. There may be many more where employees who have is having only sa account password to connect to SQL Server and AD or local windows account with admin rights on Database server but not in SQL Server so resetting the password of SA is can save him/her from rebuilding SQL Server which can further lead to an outage and data loss.
Now you can use the windows account which is having admin rights on server to reset your sa account password.
 
Steps to reset sa account password in above situation:
 
1. Stop SQL Server services
2. Start SQL Server in single user mode
To start SQL Server in single user mode is very simple:
Go to SQL Server Configuration Manager and click on  SQL Server 2008 Services. Click on SQL Server instance and right click go to properties. On the Advance table enter parameter-m;‘ before existing parameters in Startup Parameters box.
Make sure that you entered semi-comma after -m. Once that is completed, restart SQL Server services to take this in effect.

Note: Make sure that SQL Agent service is stopped before performing above mentioned steps.
 
Thanks/
 
Brgds,

Chhavinath Mishra
Database Administrator
Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)

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