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Forgot SQL SA Password

Forgetting SQL SA Password is No Longer a Nightmare

May. 20, 2013 07:08 am / Posted by Michael Eric to Files & Database
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I constantly hear people complain that: "Oh, no, I forgot my SQL SA password. What should I do?" Have you ever encountered the same situation? You forgot SQL SA password and have to reinstall the SQL Server after several failed trial? Don't be shy to tell, this situation is very common especially to people who have a lot of accounts and a lot of password to remember. No matter for what reason you forgot SQL Server SA password, this article will demonstrate changing SQL SA Password without reinstalling the SQL Server.

What is SQL and SA?

SQL is short for Structured Query Language and it is a standardized query language for accessing and manipulating information from a database.

SA is the abbreviation for "System Administrator". And SA user is the administrative login for MS SQL Server.

Why would you forget SQL SA Password 2012/2008(R2)/2005?

MS SQL SA password is blank by default. That means if you have not change the password when you use SAL server the first time, then the SQL SA password is blank. But usually, we change the SQL SA password and create a complicated and strong one the moment we open SQL Server. Then, you forgot MS SQL SA password either for a long time or mixing up with other complicated passwords.

How to reset Forgotten SQL SA Password?

Here I will just introduce to you two easiest ways to reset your forgotten SQL SA password.

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Option One: Change your forgotten SQL SA password with third party software

Don't want to bother the great trouble resetting forgotten SQL SA password yourself? Then why not try third party software. Using a third party software to recover lost or forgotten MS SQL SA password is the most easiest and effective way, especially for green hands in computer.

Here I highly recommend SmartKey SQL Password Recovery. It is easy-to-use software designed to reset lost or forgotten user and administrator password for MS SQL server 2012/2008(R2)/2005. You even don't need to install SQL at all to performance SQL password recovery, just import master.mdf file.

So why not have a try? Haven't download yet? Here to download first.

Download SmartKey SQL Password Recovery:

Free Trial

Secure Download

Now let's start the travel of recovering your forgotten SQL SA password by only a few clicks away.

Step 1: Run the SQL SA Password Recovery program and then click "Open" to load the master .mdf file.
Step 2: Select SA user name to reset the forgotten MS SQL SA password and click "Change Password" to modify password.
Step 3: Enter new password and click "OK".

You can now use your newly reset SQL SA password to login into the locked SQL Server.

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Option Two: Reset forgotten SQL SA password using SSMS

If you are confident enough that you can recover forgotten SA password in SQL Server all by yourselves, then you can try this option: to reset forgotten SQL SA password using SSMS.

SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio) is the own database management tool of MS SQL Server. Here are steps to reset SQL SA password by using SSAM:

1: Open your SSMS management console. This is usually under Start -> All Programs -> Microsoft SQL Server> -> SQL Server Management Studio Express.
2: Connect to your instance of SQL Server via Windows Authentication.
3: after you open the SQL server, choose "Logins" object under the "Security". Then you should right-click on the "SA" user, and choose "Properties".
4: Now, you can see the desired password in front of "Password" and just click it "Confirm Password" field.