SQL Server : SAPWD Error while installing SQL Server

This is a common SQL Error seen mostly while installing SQL Express Edition (or more commonly called MSDE in SQL 2000). While installing MSDE, it picks up the password for the default administrator account. In case during OS installation, if the password was ignored or if you haven’t given any Strong password for administrator account, this error pops up. One of the solutions would be to create a new user with administrator privileges and assign it with a strong password. Now SQL Server while installing uses this User Account and Password.

First step to check while installing MSDE is to extract the package. (Just click on the executable and it extracts the setup files to generally C:\FolderName). Now click on the setup.exe that sits in the extracted folder. But before running the setup.exe make sure there are no prior instances of SQL Server MSDE.

Now run the following command to install MSDE :

Setup.exe InstanceName=”NewInstanceName” SAPWD=”Password”

Here “Password” is the system admin account password or give the password for the newly created user (the user with admin privileges)password.

This password is needed only to install MDSE, not to use it. Access to MSDE is controlled by normal "NT Security" which should allow users access based on network logon and password. In case if you want to have the sample databases available with MSDE installation then go ahead and name the instance name as “

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