Locked out of SQL Server? Accidentally right click on your account in Management Studio and hit delete? Or did Sys Admins force you onto the domain and delete your local superman account that you installed SQL under? Oops! No problem! (If You’re a local admin).

Check out these simple steps.

First, run a cmd prompt as administrator. Enter the following. This will start sql in single user mode, enable the built in sa account, and reset the password for it.

net stop mssqlserver
net start mssqlserver /c /m /t3604
sqlcmd -E
alter login sa with password='1234'
go
alter login sa enable
go
exit
net stop mssqlserver

Now open your registry (regedt32) and browse to:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\(Find Your Instance)\MSSQLServer\LoginMode

Change the value to 2. Then go back to command prompt and enter:

net start mssqlserver

Voila! You’re back in business. Fire up management studio and enter your instance name and the sa credentials you created, don’t forget to select sql server authentication.

Once you’re in, Microsoft recommends changing back to Windows Auth (adding your domain/local account). This is up to you. Enjoy.