By Hally | Last Updated
SQL Server Express 2008 is automatically installed after SharePoint server 2010 installation on my computer. If I want to use SQL Server Express or create new login for SQL Server 2008, or give default SA privileges to some databases, I will need to know the password for the SA user of this SQL Server instance. However, how can I know it?
This is a problem from Internet. As is known, SA account and MIx Mode Authentication are not enabled in SQL Server 2008 by default. If you want to get default SA password for SQL 2008, I think we can only could make full use of Windows Authentication mode.
The method below would help you to get password for default SA account in SQL Server.
Step 1: Login to the SQL Server 2008 using a local user with administrative privileges.
If you cannot login Windows computer with administrator because password forgot or lost, probably you need to reset Windows server 2008 password first.
Step 2: Open SQL Server 2008 Management Studio after you logged into Windows with administrator.
Step 3: Connect to the SharePoint SQL instance with Windows Authentication.
Step 4: Enable Mixed Mode Authentication.
Mixed Mode Authentication not enabled by default for SharePoint SQL instance. So after connecting to SharePoint SQL instance, right-click the instance and click on Properties. Then choose Security on the left pane in pop-up Server Properties window, and check "SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode".
Step 5: Set a password for the SA account.
Right-click SA account and choose Properties. When Login Properties windows appears, type new password in Password and Confirm Password box.
Step 6: Enable SA account.
Click Status tab in Login Properties, check Enabled option and click OK to make SA account enabled.
Step 7: Restart the SQL instance.
Besides this way, if you want to get password for default SA account, SQL Password Genius still can do this. It could reset SA password after as long as importing master.mdf file into it. But only after Mixed Mode Authentication is enabled, can you login to SQL Server 2008 with SA account. Otherwise, you just could connect to SQL Server with Windows Authentication at first, and then enable Mixed Mode Authentication like above steps.
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