Is there a backdoor login to SQL Server 2000

  • To make a long story short:

    We had a developer creating an import process for an online application that uses SQL Server 2000. He was not strong on development skills and ended up putting SQL 2000 on his computer and developing off the desktop and then moving builds onto our development website.

    Due to changes in our company focus, this developer was laid off last year, but continued to contract with us until he finally gave up on the project.

    We now have another contractor who has been able to get the project working - but everything now hinges on his being able to access the database. The previous developer says that he cannot remember what username and password he was using on this computer.

    Is there a backdoor way that we can gain access to this database?

  • Hi

    I understand you still have the dev's computer?

    Try login on his machine with a local administrator and access the database with Windows Authentication. Default installation have the group BUILTIN\administrators as sysadmin.

  • Find the database files on the PC in question (.mdf and .ldf), copy them to another machine that has SQL 2000 on and attach them.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • I think this might work. Thank you for the suggestions.

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