Connect to SQL Server when system administrators are ...

Connect to SQL Server when system administrators are locked out - SQL Server | Microsoft Docs

Connect to SQL Server when system administrators are locked out

? 05/20/2020 ? 6 minutes to read

? o 5

Applies to: SQL Server (all supported versions)

This article describes how you can regain access to the SQL Server Database Engine as a system administrator if you've been locked out. A system administrator can lose access to an instance of SQL Server due to one of the following reasons:

? All logins that are members of the sysadmin fixed server role have been removed by mistake.

? All Windows Groups that are members of the sysadmin fixed server role have been removed by mistake.

? The logins that are members of the sysadmin fixed server role are for individuals who have left the company or who are not available.

? The sa account is disabled or no one knows the password.

Resolution

In order to resolve your access issue, we recommend that you start the instance of SQL Server in single-user mode. This mode prevents other connections from occurring while you try to regain access. From here, you can connect to your instance of SQL Server and add your login to the sysadmin server role. Detailed steps for this solution are provided in the step-by-step-instructions section.

You can start an instance of SQL Server in single-user mode with either the -m or f options from the command line. Any member of the computer's local Administrators group can then connect to the instance of SQL Server as a member of the sysadmin fixed server role.

When you start the instance in single-user mode, first stop the SQL Server Agent service. Otherwise, SQL Server Agent might connect first, taking the only available connection to the server and blocking you from logging in.

Connect to SQL Server when system administrators are locked out - SQL Server | Microsoft Docs

It's also possible for an unknown client application to take the only available connection before you are able to log in. In order to prevent this from happening, you can use the m option followed by an application name to limit connections to a single connection from the specified application. For example, starting SQL Server with -mSQLCMD limits connections to a single connection that identifies itself as the sqlcmd client program. To connect through the Query Editor in Management Studio, use -m"Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio - Query".

Important

Do not use -m with an application name as a security feature. Client applications specify the application name through the connection string settings, so it can easily be spoofed with a false name.

The following table summarizes the different ways to start your instance in single-user mode in the command line.

Option

-m

Description

Limits connections to a single connection

-mSQLCMD

Limits connections to a single connection that must identify itself as the sqlcmd client program

-m"Microsoft SQL Limits connections to a single

Server Studio

Management - Query"

connection that must identify itself as

the Microsoft SQL Server

Management Studio -

Query application.

-f

Limits connections to a single

connection and starts the instance in

minimal configuration

When to use

TABLE 1

When there are no other users attempting to connect to the instance or you are not sure of the application name you are using to connect to the instance.

When you plan to connect to the instance with sqlcmd and you want to prevent other applications from taking the only available connection.

When you plan to connect to the instance through the Query Editor in Management Studio and you want to prevent other applications from taking the only available connection.

When some other configuration is preventing you from starting.

For step-by-step instructions about how to start SQL Server in single-user mode, see Start SQL Server in Single-User Mode.

Connect to SQL Server when system administrators are locked out - SQL Server | Microsoft Docs

Step by step instructions

The following step-by-step instructions describe how to grant system administrator permissions to a SQL Server login that mistakenly no longer has access.

These instructions assume,

? SQL Server running on Windows 8 or higher. Slight adjustments for earlier versions of SQL Server or Windows are provided where applicable.

? SQL Server Management Studio is installed on the computer.

Perform these instructions while logged in to Windows as a member of the local administrators group.

1. From the Windows Start menu, right-click the icon for SQL Server Configuration Manager and choose Run as administrator to pass your administrator credentials to Configuration Manager.

2. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, in the left pane, select SQL Server Services. In the right-pane, find your instance of SQL Server. (The default instance of SQL Server includes (MSSQLSERVER) after the computer name. Named instances appear in upper case with the same name that they have in Registered Servers.) Right-click the instance of SQL Server, and then click Properties.

3. On the Startup Parameters tab, in the Specify a startup parameter box, type -m and then click Add. (That's a dash then lower case letter m.)

Note

For some earlier versions of SQL Server there is no Startup Parameters tab. In that case, on the Advanced tab, double-click Startup Parameters. The parameters open up in a very small window. Be careful not to change any of the existing parameters. At the very end, add a new parameter ;-m and then click OK. (That's a semi-colon then a dash then lower case letter m.)

4. Click OK, and after the message to restart, right-click your server name, and then click Restart.

5. After SQL Server has restarted, your server will be in single-user mode. Make sure that SQL Server Agent is not running. If started, it will take your only connection.

Connect to SQL Server when system administrators are locked out - SQL Server | Microsoft Docs

6. From the Windows Start menu, right-click the icon for Management Studio and select Run as administrator. This will pass your administrator credentials to SSMS.

Note

For earlier versions of Windows, the Run as administrator option appears as a sub-menu.

In some configurations, SSMS will attempt to make several connections. Multiple connections will fail because SQL Server is in single-user mode. Based on your scenario, perform one of the following actions.

1. Connect with Object Explorer using Windows Authentication, which includes your Administrator credentials. Expand Security, expand Logins, and double-click your own login. On the Server Roles page, select sysadmin, and then click OK.

2. Instead of connecting with Object Explorer, connect with a Query Window using Windows Authentication (which includes your Administrator credentials). (You can only connect this way if you did not connect with Object Explorer.) Execute code such as the following to add a new Windows Authentication login that is a member of the sysadmin fixed server role. The following example adds a domain user named CONTOSO\PatK.

Copy

CREATE LOGIN [CONTOSO\PatK] FROM WINDOWS; ALTER SERVER ROLE sysadmin ADD MEMBER [CONTOSO\PatK];

3. If your SQL Server is running in mixed authentication mode, connect with a Query Window using Windows Authentication (which includes your Administrator credentials). Execute code such as the following to create a new SQL Server authentication login that is a member of the sysadmin fixed server role.

Copy

CREATE LOGIN TempLogin WITH PASSWORD = '************'; ALTER SERVER ROLE sysadmin ADD MEMBER TempLogin;

Warning

Replace ************ with a strong password.

Connect to SQL Server when system administrators are locked out - SQL Server | Microsoft Docs

4. If your SQL Server is running in mixed authentication mode and you want to reset the password of the sa account, connect with a Query Window using Windows Authentication (which includes your Administrator credentials). Change the password of the sa account with the following syntax.

Copy

ALTER LOGIN sa WITH PASSWORD = '************';

Warning

Replace ************ with a strong password.

7. Close Management Studio. 8. These next few steps change SQL Server back to multi-user mode. In SQL

Server Configuration Manager, in the left pane, select SQL Server Services. 9. In the right-pane, right-click the instance of SQL Server, and then

click Properties. 10. On the Startup Parameters tab, in the Existing parameters box, select -

m and then click Remove.

Note

For some earlier versions of SQL Server there is no Startup Parameters tab. In that case, on the Advanced tab, double-click Startup Parameters. The parameters open up in a very small window. Remove the ;-m which you added earlier, and then click OK.

11. Right-click your server name, and then click Restart. Make sure to start SQL Server Agent again if you stopped it before starting SQL Server in singleuser mode.

Now you should be able to connect normally with one of the accounts which is now a member of the sysadmin fixed server role.

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