This article describes how to add a Microsoft Windows user to the sysadmin fixed server role in Microsoft SQL Server 2005. To do this, the method that is described in this article uses the account of a Windows user who is a member of the local Administrators group.

Important Use the method that is described in this article only as a failure recovery mechanism.

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You can use the account of a Windows user who is a member of the local Administrators group to add another Windows user to the sysadmin fixed server role in SQL Server 2005. To do this, follow these steps:

1.	Log on to Windows by using the account of a Windows user who is a member of the local Administrators group.
2.	Stop the SQL Server service.
3.	At a command prompt, start the instance in single-user mode. To do this, follow these steps: a. At a command prompt, change to the following folder: SQLInstall\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.X\MSSQL\Binn Notes • SQLInstall is a placeholder for the folder in which SQL Server 2005 is installed. • MSSQL.X is a placeholder for the folder for the instance. b. If the instance is a named instance of SQL Server 2005, run the following command: sqlservr.exe -sInstanceName -m -c If the instance is the default instance of SQL Server 2005, run the following command: sqlservr.exe -m -c
4.	Use the Sqlcmd utility (Sqlcmd.exe) to connect to the instance. To do this, follow these steps: a. Start a command prompt. b. If the instance is a named instance of SQL Server 2005, run the following command: sqlcmd -SComputerName\InstanceName If the instance is the default instance of SQL Server 2005, run the following command: sqlcmd -SComputerName
5.	At a command prompt, run the following Transact-SQL statement. sp_addsrvrolemember '<Login>', 'sysadmin' GO Note <Login> is a placeholder for the Windows user whom you want to add to the sysadmin fixed server role.

Important The method that is described in this article is a new feature in SQL Server 2005. You cannot disable this feature. However, use other methods to add a Windows user to the sysadmin fixed server role if other methods are available. For example, if you have a different login that is a member of the sysadmin fixed server role, use this different login to log on to the instance. Then, add the Windows user to the sysadmin fixed server role.

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For more information about the sp_addsrvrolemember stored procedure, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site: For more information about considerations that apply when you run SQL Server 2005 on Windows Vista, visit the following MSDN Web site: For more information about how to connect to SQL Server 2005 from Windows Vista, visit the following MSDN Web site:

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