How to reset the sa password for SQL 2005 Express

Solution

1. Log on to the Symphony server where SQL Express 2005 is installed.
2. Log into OSQL with Windows authentication:

osql -S localhost\Aimetis -E

3. Enter the following commands on a seperate line:

sp_password @old = null, @new = 'complexpwd',  @loginame ='sa'

go

4. Replace "complexpwd" with the new strong password. A strong password includes alpha-numeric and special characters, and a combination of upper and lower case characters.
5. Re-run the Setup Wizard and enter the new SA password and re-apply changes.