Logging In to SQL Server

You can log in to Microsoft® SQL Server™ from any of the graphical administration tools, or from a command prompt, using osql. When you log in to SQL Server using a graphical administration tool such as SQL Server Enterprise Manager or SQL Server Query Analyzer, you are prompted to supply the server name, a login ID, and a password if necessary. How you log in to SQL Server depends on whether SQL Server is using Windows NT Authentication or mixed mode (SQL Server and Windows NT Authentication). If SQL Server is using Windows NT Authentication, you do not have to provide a login ID each time you access a registered SQL Server. Instead, SQL Server logs you in automatically using your Microsoft Windows NT® account.

However, if SQL Server is using mixed mode, you must log in to SQL Server to administer it. The first time you log in, you must use sa (the default system administrator login ID) as your login identification. Initially, the sa login does not have a password.

Note If you selected a case-sensitive sort order when you installed SQL Server, your login ID is also case-sensitive.

To log in to SQL Server

See Also