CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sql-serverdatabasesql-server-2005ssmsdefault-database
Martin Brown
Martin Brown

Reputation: 25310

How to change default database in SQL Server without using MS SQL Server Management Studio?

I dropped a database from SQL Server, however it turns out that my login was set to use the dropped database as its default. I can connect to SQL Server Management Studio by using the 'options' button in the connection dialog and selecting 'master' as the database to connect to. However, whenever I try to do anything in object explorer, it tries to connect using my default database and fails.

Does anyone know how to set my default database without using object explorer?

Upvotes: 187

Views: 328953

Answers (13)

Super Kai - Kazuya Ito
Super Kai - Kazuya Ito

Reputation: 1

With the MSSQL queries below, you can change database on sqlcmd:

USE testdb
GO

Then, you can check the currently used database:

SELECT DB_NAME()
GO

testdb

Then, you can show all the existed databases:

SELECT name FROM master.sys.databases
GO

master
tempdb
model
msdb
testdb

In addition, if you don't specify a database on sqlcmd, "master" database is used by default.

Upvotes: 0

Praganesh Patel
Praganesh Patel

Reputation: 21

There is a little icon for change the connection, click on that and then go to Options and Select the db from Connect to database drop down

enter image description here

Upvotes: 0

Mattijs
Mattijs

Reputation: 557

Thanks to this post, I found an easier answer:

  1. Open Sql Server Management Studio

  2. Go to object Explorer -> Security -> Logins

  3. Right click on the login and select properties

  4. And in the properties window change the default database and click OK.

Upvotes: 50

Marek
Marek

Reputation: 50704

Alternative to sp_defaultdb (which will be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server) could be ALTER LOGIN:

ALTER LOGIN [my_user_name] WITH DEFAULT_DATABASE = [new_default_database]

Note: user and database names are provided without quotes (unlike the sp_defaultdb solution). Brackets are needed if name had special chars (most common example will be domain user which is domain\username and won't work without brackets):

ALTER LOGIN me WITH DEFAULT_DATABASE = my_database

but

ALTER LOGIN [EVILCORP\j.smith28] WITH DEFAULT_DATABASE = [prod\v-45]

Upvotes: 71

Chand
Chand

Reputation: 579

Click on options on the connect to Server dialog and on the Connection Properties, you can choose the database to connect to on startup. Its better to leave it default which will make master as default. Otherwise you might inadvertently run sql on a wrong database after connecting to a database.

enter image description here

enter image description here

Upvotes: 9

Mubashar
Mubashar

Reputation: 12658

I'll also prefer ALTER LOGIN Command as in accepted answer and described here

But for GUI lover

  1. Go to [SERVER INSTANCE] --> Security --> Logins --> [YOUR LOGIN]
  2. Right Click on [YOUR LOGIN]
  3. Update the Default Database Option at the bottom of the page

Tired of reading!!! just look at following

enter image description here

Upvotes: 7

vapcguy
vapcguy

Reputation: 7537

This may or may not exactly answer the question, but I ran into this issue (and question) when I had changed my account to have a new database I had created as my "default database". Then I deleted that database and wanted to test my creation script, from scratch. I logged off SSMS and was going to go back in, but was denied -- cannot log into default database was the error. D'oh!

What I did was, on the login dialog for SSMS, go to Options, Connection Properties, then type master on the "Connect to database" combobox. Click Connect. Got me in. From there you can run the command to:

ALTER LOGIN [DOMAIN\useracct] WITH DEFAULT_DATABASE=[master]
GO

Upvotes: 1

Adam Diament
Adam Diament

Reputation: 4830

If you use windows authentication, and you don't know a password to login as a user via username and password, you can do this: on the login-screen on SSMS click options at the bottom right, then go to the connection properties tab. Then you can type in manually the name of another database you have access to, over where it says , which will let you connect. Then follow the other advice for changing your default database

https://gyazo.com/c3d04c600311c08cb685bb668b569a67

Upvotes: -1

gmesorio
gmesorio

Reputation: 453

In case you can't login to SQL Server:

sqlcmd –E -S InstanceName –d master

Reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/307864

Upvotes: 2

Greg B
Greg B

Reputation: 14888

If you don't have permissions to change your default DB you could manually select a different DB at the top of your queries...

USE [SomeOtherDb]
SELECT 'I am now using a different DB'

Will work as long as you have permission to the other DB

Upvotes: 16

Ravishankar S
Ravishankar S

Reputation: 365

  1. Click on Change Connection icon
  2. Click Options<<
  3. Select the db from Connect to database drop down

Upvotes: 8

Marcus Erickson
Marcus Erickson

Reputation: 1561

To do it the GUI way, you need to go edit your login. One of its properties is the default database used for that login. You can find the list of logins under the Logins node under the Security node. Then select your login and right-click and pick Properties. Change the default database and your life will be better!

Note that someone with sysadmin privs needs to be able to login to do this or to run the query from the previous post.

Upvotes: 53

Martin Brown
Martin Brown

Reputation: 25310

What you can do is set your default database using the sp_defaultdb system stored procedure. Log in as you have done and then click the New Query button. After that simply run the sp_defaultdb command as follows:

Exec sp_defaultdb @loginame='login', @defdb='master'

Upvotes: 234

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