Post reply

Unable to access a SQLServer 6.5 Database (SA passwd forgotten)

  • February 15, 2005 at 9:42 am

    #85087

    Hi guys, I am somewhat of a newbie with regards to SQL Server so bare with me.  Recently we received a request to be able to access a remote SQL Server 6.5 database whose SA password has been forgotten.  I know that you can logon as a local NT administrator and then change the SA passwd, but it seems that this requires a trusted connection over named pipes.  Unfortunately when this server was setup it only had TCP/IP configured and no named pipes support.

    Does anyone of a way to get access to the database.  Can you install named pipes support after the fact, and how would you do it.  Any help would be appreciated.

    Regards

    Terry

  • February 15, 2005 at 11:38 am

    #542362

    Just out of curiosity, have you tried a blank sa password?  That was the default, and many instances were installed without changing it.

    Steve

  • February 15, 2005 at 1:04 pm

    #542385

    First thing we attempted Steve.

  • February 16, 2005 at 2:07 am

    #542467

    Are you saying the server is configured to only accept standard SQL login? if so you would need to rebuild your master databse and restore database(s) from backup. If security is in mixed mode then you should be able to create a network account and add it to Administrators to gain access to SQL server. 

  • February 16, 2005 at 3:45 am

    #542484

    If the security mode is only standard SQL see if you can change it to mixed and be an administrator (as per previous post). Otherwise you can try to use the probe account to access the server via Query Analyzer and then hack (sorry update) syslogins to set the sa passord to null. 

  • February 16, 2005 at 6:39 am

    #542516

    Thanks guys, since this is a remote server that is managed by DBA friend of mine, I will have her try this out, and report back to you.

    Regards

    Terry

  • February 16, 2005 at 11:11 am

    #542603

    Somewhere in the forum there was a post about the registry entry that determined the security mode: SQL or Mixed.

    That might be the place to start.  If you can get the server to accept Windows logons, then the problem is simple. 

    Or, you could run a brute force password guesser against it? 

    So long, and thanks for all the fish,

    Russell Shilling, MCDBA, MCSA 2K3, MCSE 2K3

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply