(Almost) every Across users’ problem

Across problem

Across keep asking for SQL Server password

Have you ever experienced of being “rejected” to log on into your Across Personal Edition account? Did Across keep saying “The specified password for the SQL Server ‘sa’ user is incorrect” all the time after entering sa!123456 or sa123456 standard password? Many people surely have experienced this frustrating and annoying problem.

The solution for “the specified password for bla-bla-bla…”

Well, this is only a personal experience that happened to me recently.

In the past, I used Across quite often. But, since many translation agencies where I work for asked me to use their “favorite” CAT tools, I left Across in my PC unused. Just recently, I need to open up my Across again but found that I unable to launch it. Across kept asking the SQL Server’s password!

After a few minutes searching through Across online help, here are the steps to gain the access into Across again:

The sa password is the administrator password of the SQL Server that is set to sa!123456 (from v4.00.0 SP2) or sa123456 (prior to v4.00.0 SP2) by default during the installation of the SQL Server.

If the SQL password query appears when starting Across, please check the following items:

  1. Please first check whether the service of the SQL Server has been started. To do this, open the Windows service manager, e.g. via >>Start >>Control Panel >>Administrative Tools >>Services. The service of the SQL Server is usually called “SQL Server (ACROSS)”. Start the service if is not active. Please also make sure that the service is started automatically. In the service properties, you can determine that the service is to be started automatically. If the service is not started automatically, you need to start it manually every time your computer is rebooted.
  2. If the service is active, please enter the password sa!123456 (from v4.00.0 SP2) or sa123456 (prior to v4.00.0 SP2).
  3. Should the sa password query continue to appear, please check the communication between Across and the SQL Server is blocked by antivirus or firewall software. Perhaps the settings have been modified by an antivirus update. If necessary, briefly disable the antivirus or firewall software to check whether the communication works afterwards.
  4. Check if the SQL Server databases are compressed. To save storage space, Windows enables the compression of individual files, folders or entire hard-disk drives. (The compressed files is displayed in blue in Windows Explorer.) However, the SQL databases that Across uses for storing data do not support this compression. If your SQL databases are compressed (through compression of the hard disk containing the databases or of the files or the folder of the databases), you need to undo the compression in order to be able to use Across. To do this, deactivate the corresponding option in the properties of the compressed drives or in the advanced properties of the compressed files or folder.
  5. Should the sa password query continue to appear, please contact our support desk (further information).

Source: Across online help

Well, the first step was passed without making any change on the service properties. I mean, the SQL Server was automatically started and already running. So, what did I do next?

Didn’t work? Then check your antivirus

I skipped the step number 2, because entering the SQL password wouldn’t work. Then, I jumped to step number 3. I checked the communication between Across and SQL Server if it was being blocked by my antivirus or firewall program. How?

Recently, I upgraded my Avast antivirus into Avast Internet Security, so the following steps might be slightly different if you are running another antivirus. So, let’s go!

Avast Internet Security

Switching my firewall profile

I started by opening up my Avast Internet Security’s main user interface then I headed to Protection – Firewall section. There, I saw that my firewall profile was set to Public and the SQL communication was completely blocked. Because my PC is only for a private use, so I didn’t need to make exception for the SQL. I switched the firewall profile into Private instead. After that, the SQL communication was released from the blocked services and I could re-launch the Across even without doing step number 4 and 5.

Final words

“The specified password for the SQL Server ‘sa’ user is incorrect” problem could be so annoying and would be time-consuming to solve it, especially when everyone on the internet only suggested you to input the standard password (sa!123456 or sa123456) but it didn’t work. So, I suggest you to do step by step solutions offered by Across team on their online help page. My problem was solved by doing step number 3. Other people might get the solution by doing step number 4. And your problem, might be solved by only doing step number 1.

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