TechTips - SQL 2005 Error Password Validation Failed

If you have ever installed a second instance of SQL 2005 on a server that already has SQL installed you have probably run into this error:

[Microsoft][SQL Native Client][SQL Server]Password validation failed. The password does not meet Windows policy requirements because it is too short. To continue, correct the problem, and then run SQL Server Setup again.

Well I am here to make your life a lot easier and tell you how to fix this problem quickly and easily. It simply takes modifying an existing file and then as the program does its install, dropping the modified file into a directory as it is created. It sounds pretty farfetched but you can trust me it works.

So first the cause of this problem is generally security on your network, basically Windows requires passwords to follow a set of rules and the SQL installer isn't meeting them. The password the SQL installer uses is Yukon90_, I have no idea why this is the default password within the installer. So basically we just need to find the file that contains this password, edit it to meet our password requirements, then copy the file over into a directory as it is created. Follow the below steps to get this done, and in no time you will have another instance of SQL 2005 installed.

So first you will want to find the file to modify (INSTMSDB.SQL), you can either do a search for the file or you can go to the directory that contains it

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Install

Now a quick note, if you have more than one instance of SQL installed then the folder number might be different, MSSQL.1 could be MSSQL.2, MSSQL 3, MSSQL 4, you get the point. Also I am running a 64bit system so if you are running 32bit your folder will be this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Install

No matter the file location we are still going to do the same steps to fix the problem, I just wanted to clear up the issue of where the file is located, the best bet is to do a search for it and find it that way.

Once you have found the file we will want to do the following:

1. Right click the file

2. Choose copy

3. Go to your desktop and paste

4. Right click the file

5. Choose edit (it should open in notepad)

6. Press CTRL + H (this will help you find and replace the old password)

7. In the text box type Yukon90_

8. Click Find Next

9. If it finds Yukon90_ it should be highlighted

10. In the Replace with box type a password you want to use (make sure it meets the requirements of your network, otherwise you will be doing all of this again)

11. Click Replace (it should replace it with the password you typed)

12. Click Find Next

13. It should find one more Yukon90_

14. Click Replace

15. Click Find Next

16. It should say Cannot Find Yukon90_

17. Save the file and close it

Now comes the interesting part, you are going to re-run the SQL installer, while it is going through the install you will want to be watching the folder

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server

Right when it creates the MSSQL.X folder (this will be the next number so if you have MSSQL.3 it will be MSSQL.4) you will want to open the folder, open the MSSQL folder and then open the Install folder and then drag and drop the file (INSTMSDB.SQL) that we just edited, into this install folder. This will make the installer use the password we inserted and it will allow it to complete without the error we previously received.

That is all you need to do to avoid this error. I am assuming if you got this error then you know how to run the installer program for SQL 2005 and don't need steps in doing that. Hope this helps you solve your problem.