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With a SQL Server instance on Amazon RDS it is possible to do the following to your master user:


If this command is executed while logged in as the that master user through SSMS, every other command will fail, as the account has now been disabled.

How can this be re-enabled?

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2 Answers 2

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You need to start SQL server in single user mode, same as if you locked out or disabled your SA account on a non-cloud SQL server.

(You use the -m startup switch, and a computer administrator can connect to SQL server as an SA and, for example, enable the SA account, create a new SA user, reset the SA password, etc.)

So, you'd stop all the SQL services, then run sqlservr -m from cmd and be able to connect using an account that's in the administrators group on the server.

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This is the same issue if you did it on a normal instance of SQL - you need to enable the user using a privileged account. I am guessing the support guys at amazon could do something for you if you don't have a 2nd account.

There is a thread on the amazon site from someone who has done the same thing. https://forums.aws.amazon.com/message.jspa?messageID=402351

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