How to Connect to SQL Server When Lost SA Password

As we know, there are 2 authentications to choose from when connecting to SQL Server. One is Windows Authentication and another is SQL Server Authentication. When connecting to SQL Server with SQL Server Authentication you are required to login with SA password. The problem is how to connect to SQL Server when SA password is lost.

SQL Server lost SA password 

The SA user is the super administrator user in SQL Server. If lost the SA password you will have no privilege to open and create SQL Server database. The SA user plays an important role in SQL Server just like the Windows administrator user plays an important role in Windows. So, you’d better not lose or forget it.

How to Connect to SQL Server when lost SA password ?

When lost SA password and cannot connect to SQL Server, you can connect to SQL Server with Windows Authentication and change the SA user password. Then you can login to SQL Server with the new SA password.

Important: If you even failed to connect to SQL Server with Windows Authentication, then you have to reset the SA user password by another way.

Reset SA password without login to SQL Server

When lost SA password and cannot to connect to SQL Server with Windows Authentication, you can use SQL Password Geeker to reset SA password without login to SQL Server. 

1. Install SQL Password Geeker on your PC.
2. Stop SQL Server services.
3. Open SQL Password Geeker and import SQL Server master.mdf file.
4. Select the SA user and reset its password.
5. Close SQL Password Geeker and start SQL Server services.
6. Connect to SQL Server with SQL Server Authentication with the new SA password.

2 Methods to Change SA Password in SQL Server 2008

There are many cases where we need to change SQL Server SA password. For example, when forgot or lost the SA password and locked out of SA account you will need to reset the sa password, or when you enable the SA account for the first time you need to change its default password which is unknown to a new one. Normally, there are 2 methods to change SA password for SQL Server 2008/2005/2012/2014.

Method 1: By SQL Server Management Studio

Method 2: By Asunsoft SQL Password Geeker

Method 1: Use SQL Server Management Studio to change SA password

Log in to SQL Server Management studio by Windows Authentication mode and change SA password. Do as following steps:

Step 1: Launch SQL Server Management studio. Login to with Windows Authentication mode.

Step 2: Under the root directory in Object Explorer, go to Security -> Logins -> sa folder. Double click on sa account to open Login Properties dialog.

Step 3: Select General page and change the SA password.

When SA password has been changed. Make sure the SA account has been enabled and all SQL Server services are running. Then you can login to SQL Server with the new SA password with SQL Server Authentication mode. 

Method 2: Use SQL Password Geeker to change SA password

SQL Password Geeker is third party software, with which you can reset SA user or other users passwords for SQL Server 2000/2005/2008/2012/2014.

Step 1: Download and install Asunsoft SQL Password Geeker.

Step 2: Stop services in SQL Server.

Note: To reset SQL Server SA password by SQL Password Geeker, it is a required step to firstly stop SQL Server services. (Open SQL Server Configuration Manager to stop services.)

Step 3: Launch Asunsoft SQL Password Geeker. Click Open File button to open the master.mdf file (.mdf).

Tips: The .mdf file is located in D:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data\master.mdf and the "D" is the disk where your SQL Server is installed.

Step 4: Select the SA account. Click on Reset button.

Step 5: Type a new password and click on OK. Your SA password will be changed successfully.

Important: When your SA password is changed successfully, do not start SQL Server services before you login to SQL Server with the new SA password.