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Obtaining / resetting password from an MS SQL .BAK file?

Answer 1

A:

Turn it off and back on again.

Sarah Giles 2010-07-22 14:23:50

Standard IT answer which is certainly always worth a shot, and although I'm amused, I'm afraid I can't in good conscience give an up vote. Nice try though! :)

Damian Powell 2010-07-22 14:56:30

Answer 2

+2 A:

Do you know the SA password for the database? Long shot, but they could be the same. Try it with the following:

RESTORE DATABASE Northwind FROM DISK='C:\yourbackup.BAK' WITH MEDIAPASSWORD='thepassword'

DavidGouge 2010-07-22 14:32:20

Unfortunately I've got nothing but the .BAK file. Ridiculously, I can (should I really have the urge) open it as plain text and I can see the data, so it's not really encrypted or anything - it's just seemingly got a password purely stopping me from restoring the database.

dodgrile 2010-07-22 14:34:02

Then to be honest I think this is one of those where you're just not going to be able to do it. And as I am a lazy bugger, I'd have told the client that aaaages ago. ;)

DavidGouge 2010-07-22 14:36:48

Normally I would have, but I've come across this particular system previously, and I'm likely to again, so it'd make my life just that little bit easier if I had a reasonable way around this.All I can think of at the moment is attempting to remotely connect to the client, installing server management studio, and exporting it directly from the data myself.

dodgrile 2010-07-22 15:03:39

Or you could create a little console app that connects to the db and performs the backup. Saves installing sqlsms.

DavidGouge 2010-07-22 15:34:56

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Obtaining / resetting password from an MS SQL .BAK file?

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