A strong SA password is required for security reasons?

When I try to install SQL Server I get the follwing message when I click on the installation file :

A strong SA password is required for securityreasons.

Please use SAPWDswitch to supply the same. Refer to readme

for more details.Setup will now exit.

I've checked the readme but can't really find any info on how to fix this.
I don't know what password this SA password is nor how to change it.
Can anyone help me out?

It sounds like you are trying to set up MSDE. Instead of runningSETUP.EXE, you need to run SETUP.EXE with a SAPWD switch, somethinglike this:

setup sapwd="astrongpassword" securitymode=sql

|||Thanks for the help but there are just a few things I want to know about what you said.
1.How do I run this switch. By going to Start->Run and then typing in the switch?
2. Where you said sapwd="astrongpassword". Can this be any password or is this some existing password?

|||

What steps are you taking to do the installation?

Do you have the readme file that came with the MSDE installation files?

It should really explain how to do all of this. You are likelyrunning a .bat file in which one of the lines being executed issetup.exe. This is the line to which the switch should beadded. Something like this:

setup SAPWD="AStrongSAPwd" SECURITYMODE=SQL

According toSecurity Rulesa strong password is:

at least seven characters long|||

Hi,

Looks like you got some good advice already. I just wanted to add a caution that you'll likely need to consider soon enough. While having a strong (harder to crack) PW is important, youdon't everwant to use the sa (System Administrator) account when creating your ASP.NET applications. There are other "users" that you'll be able to have access your DBs. ASP.NET has a worker process that acts as a user on behalf of ASP.NET applications. It's called ASPNET (though you'll need to use NETWORK SERVICE if you're using IIS 6). In any case, you can look up those terms when the time comes.

Hope it helps. BRN..

|||

Hi,

I changed the sa PWD on my system just a while ago. I noticed that it would not accept spaces in the PWD. I generally like to use pass phrases now, as they're easier for me to remember. Not having spaces makes it awkward. Wonder why windows and SQL Server differ on that? Do you happen to know why? BRN..

|||Thank you very much for the help as I got the problem sorted out as you suggested.