– Open SQL Server Configuration Manager
– Stop the SQL Server Instance you need to recover the SA password
– Open the properties on the SQL Server Instance and click on the Advanced tab
– Change the Startup parameter by adding -m; at the begging of the line and click OK
– Start the SQL Service Instance

– Open the command prompt
– Run sqlcmd and press enter

sqlcmd -S server\instance

– Run a Transact-SQL (Below) command to add an existing account or a new account to the sysadmin server role. Replace DOMAIN\Username with the account you want to add. *NOTE: if you receive errors, I’ve listed some common issues at the end of this article.

EXEC sp_addsrvrolemember ‘DOMAIN\Username’, ‘sysadmin’;
GO

– Open SQL Server Configuration Manager
– Stop the SQL Server Instance
– Open the properties on the SQL Server Instance and click on the Advanced tab
– Change the Startup parameter by removing the -m; at the begging of the line and click OK
– Start the SQL Service Instance

– Open Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and login with the account you added
– Under the DB, expand Security, then Logins
– Open the properties for the sa account, and reset the password