Years ago, Microsoft came out with a free SQL database server called MSDE. I recently encountered a program that uses this database and the user had locked themselves out (somehow locking out other users as well). Luckily, we were able to find an admin user that still knew their password to log in and reset the other user’s password.

Now, I’m thinking to myself “If everyone got locked out and there was no default login, they would have been up the creek without a paddle.”

No, MSDE is an MSSQL database, NOT MySQL, and I don’t know how to access MSSQL databases. If you know, please tell!

I was having a hard time finding any free software that would give me any sort of interface with the MSSQL database that wasn’t strictly command line.

Lo-and behold, there is an alternative if you have Microsoft Access! You can create an ODCB connection to the MSSQL database (under Administrative tools) which in turn can be opened with Microsoft Access.

If you would like help doing this, drop me a line!