By default I believe with SQL Express Mixed mode authentication is going to
be disabled. SA requires this enabled. You will need to enable this mode and
set a strong password for SA.

I suggest having your systems administrator either assign you local admin
rights temporarily (presuming that the default setup was followed and local
admins are mapped into the sysadmin fixed server role in your SQL Express
installation). Then you may login and make the changes required and go back
to not being a local admin.

By default local administrators have sysadmin access to SQL Server.
So, logon with any adminstrative account which has a group membership
in the local adminstrators group and reset the password of the sa
then.

Jens K. Suessmeyer.

---
http://www.sqlserver2005.de
---

Hello,

You may need to do 2 steps, first one is to change the authentication mode
to SQL Server and Windows. After that chnage the SA password.

Use the below steps:-

1. Login as a local admin in SQL Server machine
2. Open the SQL Server express management studio
3. Connect to SQL Server using windows authentication (Work only if you
login into OS using a previleged user in the local machine)
4. Right click the mouse above the server name and choose properties
5. Go to security tab...Change the server authentication to "SQL Server and
Windows Authentication mode"
6. Click OK and restart SQL Server service
7. Reconnect to SQL Server again using SQL Server studio management express
8. Expand the server and choose security and expand logins
9. Right click above SA, properties...modify the password and confirm
password

After this you should be able to login into SQL server using SA.

Thanks
Hari