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Windows Vista and SQL Server 2005: error 18456 when logging in

Gill Cleeren

SQL Server | Vista | Vista Tricks

December 3, 2006

I was just installing SQL Server 2005 in my Windows Vista, and then applied SP2 (november 2006 CTP) to get things running smoothly.

However, when trying to run Management Studio for the first time, I couldn't log on using the Windows (built-in) account... I got "Error: 18456, Severity: 14, State: 11." in the SQL Server Error Log.

After some searching, I found that when using Vista and SP2, you are not automatically added to the sysadmin role in SQL Server. Therefore, you have to be able to add yourself.

This can be done using the Surface Area Configuration Tool, by clicking the link, as shown below.

Now, another problem is that clicking the link in the November 2006 CTP appearantly doesn't work... The solution to this particular problem is running the provisioning tool yourself. This can be found at C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlprov.exe

Here, you can add yourself to the sysadmin role.

Posted on: Sunday, December 03, 2006 5:58:45 PM (Romance Standard Time, UTC+01:00) | Comments [1]

Monday, April 27, 2009 2:20:39 PM (Romance Daylight Time, UTC+02:00)

After encountering a problem where suddenly I couldn't log onto my own SQL Server 2005 instance (Developer Edition, installed on my own PC) THIS is the solution that worked.

No idea why it happened but using the Surface Area Config tool to add my local windows account to the sysadmin group worked.

THANK YOU!!

Dave

Comments are closed.

2/8/2012 10:35:20 PM

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