How to retrieve database password

I previously had a web server that was running a application that used a
MSDE database. This server had a motherboard failure and I was not able to
repair it. I did get all the data off the drives so the MSDE SQL databases
did get copied. The problem is the admin password for those database is not
known to me and the previous admin does not remember. I need this password
so that I can reinstall the web application and give it the admin password
for the old databases. The tool the software company gave me to pull the
password does not work, as it pulls the information from the registry (which
is not the original as I have a new boot drive). Does anyone know how to
pull MSDE SQL database passwords without booting from the original drive?
There has to be a way to get all of the databases back since the data is
intact.
If you have the MDF files, just attach the database to a new instance
of MSDE with sp_attachDB.
If you mean a specially created user in the database or server AFAIK
which the application will use for connection and which is not known to
you, this password cannot be recovered. (If you have no access to the
stored password in the source code)
HTH, Jens Suessmeyer.
|||All I have are the old .SQL files no MDF files were created.
"Jens" <Jens@.sqlserver2005.de> wrote in message
news:1136994106.307693.42900@.g43g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> If you have the MDF files, just attach the database to a new instance
> of MSDE with sp_attachDB.
> If you mean a specially created user in the database or server AFAIK
> which the application will use for connection and which is not known to
> you, this password cannot be recovered. (If you have no access to the
> stored password in the source code)
> HTH, Jens Suessmeyer.
>
|||If it is a SQL Server Authenticaion you should look in that Script
files (which they are supposed to be) for sp_addlogin which is used to
create the SQL Server auth. users.
HTH, jens Suessmeyer.
|||1. Go to Start | Run | type in Command.
2. Type the following command in the DOS prompt.
OSQL S <SERVERNAME> -E =
Note Be sure to replace SERVERNAME with the name of your SQL server.
Typically this is the name of your computer.
Note If this statement does not run successfully try entering it again
excluding the '=' sign.
3. Press Enter.
4. Type the line exactly as it is written below where ok is your new
password:
1> EXEC sp_password NULL, 'ok', 'sa'
5. Press Enter.
6. Type the line below:
2> Go
7. Press Enter. This will change the sa password from a value unknown to
ok (this can be changed in step 4).
=
"J Coldwater" <jams@.purdue.edu> wrote in message
news:u5y$dTsFGHA.2896@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> I previously had a web server that was running a application that used a
> MSDE database. This server had a motherboard failure and I was not able to
> repair it. I did get all the data off the drives so the MSDE SQL databases
> did get copied. The problem is the admin password for those database is
> not known to me and the previous admin does not remember. I need this
> password so that I can reinstall the web application and give it the admin
> password for the old databases. The tool the software company gave me to
> pull the password does not work, as it pulls the information from the
> registry (which is not the original as I have a new boot drive). Does
> anyone know how to pull MSDE SQL database passwords without booting from
> the original drive? There has to be a way to get all of the databases back
> since the data is intact.
>