Updating the SQL sa password.

Some information on how to update the SQL sa password.

Acctivate installs SQL Server with a default password for the “sa” user.  Please contact the Acctivate support team if you need the default password for the SQL Server “sa” account.  We don’t publish the default password to protect unauthorized access to your Acctivate data.

However, you can change the SQL Server database password at any time.  Please follow the instructions below to change the password for SQL Server administrator (i.e., SA) user account.

NOTE: You will need to be logged in as a Windows user account with administrative privileges on the server running the ACCTIVATE instance of Microsoft SQL Server before you can continue.

First, update the Acctivate configuration to use the new password:

  1. Run Acctivate Database Maintenance from the Windows Start menu
  2. Click Database Sources from the Database menu
  3. Select MSDE (and/or MSSQL) from the list and click Edit on the Toolbar
  4. Enter the new password and click Save on the Toolbar
  5. Repeat these steps for the “ACCTivate” Database Source
  6. Write down the “Server Name” (you’ll need to know that later)
  7. Close Acctivate Database Maintenance

Now you can change password in Microsoft SQL Server:

  1. Run Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio from the Microsoft SQL Server folder in the Windows Start menu
  2. Make sure the “Server name” matches what you wrote down earlier (step 6 above). The server name is typically ComputerName\ACCTIVATE
  3. Select Windows Authentication and click Connect
  4. Double-click on Security in the list on the left
  5. Double-click on Logins in the list on the left
  6. Double-click on “sa” to open the Login Properties window
  7. Enter the new Password, Confirm Password and click OK
  8. Close Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

Try Acctivate now and make sure it works from the server. You may get a Login failed for user sa error if the passwords don’t match. If you get this error, repeat the steps again.

You may also need to update UPS WorldShip / FedEx Ship Manager to use the new password:

  1. Log in to the workstation(s) running UPS WorldShip and/or FedEx Ship Manager
  2. Open Administrative Tools from the Windows Control Panel
  3. Double-click Data Sources (ODBC)
  4. Click the System DSN tab
  5. Select the “ACCTivate…” entry with “SQL Server” as the Driver
  6. Click the Configure… button on the right
  7. Click Next
  8. Enter the new Password and click Next
  9. Click Next and Finish
  10. Click Test Data Source…
  11. Make sure the window indicates that “TESTS COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY!” and click OK
  12. Click OK and close the ODBC Data Source Administrator