1.7 Modifying the Password for the SQL Server Express System Administrator User

If you installed Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition, the installation automatically generated a password for the SQL system administrator user (sa). You can use your Windows Administrator credentials and SQL management tools to modify the password without needing to know the generated password.

NOTE:For improved security, we strongly recommend that you modify the password for the sa credentials after the PlateSpin Server installation is completed and you have activated the license for the product. After you set a custom password for the sa user, you must be able to provide the password when you apply future upgrades for PlateSpin Server software.

The Microsoft SQLCMD (sqlcmd) utility is included in the SQL Server Express software. You can use this tool to modify the SQL system administrator password for your SQL Server Express database engine. After you change the password, you must update the information for PlateSpin Server and restart the Platespin Server service.

To change the SQL Server Express sa user password:

  1. Log in to the PlateSpin Server host as the local Administrator user.

  2. Launch the Administrator Command Prompt.

  3. Modify the SQL system administrator password. Enter

    sqlcmd -S .\PlateSpinDB -E -Q "ALTER LOGIN sa WITH PASSWORD = '${NewPassword}'"

    This SQLCMD syntax executes the query that follows the -Q option, and then exits the SQLCMD utility.

    NOTE:Run the command on the SQL Server Express host if you installed it on a different server.

    This command uses the ALTER LOGIN syntax rather than the sp_password stored procedure as recommended by Microsoft in the sp_password (Transact-SQL) documentation.

    For information about syntax and commands for SQLCMD, see SQLCMD Utility on the Microsoft website.

  4. Update PlateSpin with the new password for the SQL system administrator user. Enter

    %PROGRAMFILES%\PlateSpin Migrate Server\bin\PlateSpin.UpdateConnectionString.exe /instance=.\PlateSpinDB /username=sa /password=${NewPassword}

  5. Restart the PlateSpin Server service. Enter

    %PROGRAMFILES%\PlateSpin Migrate Server\bin\RestartPlateSpinServer\RestartPlateSpinServer.exe