Did you know you can pass your Windows credentials to SQL Server even when working from a workstation that is not joined to a domain?

Here is how …

From Start, then click All Programs, find Microsoft SQL Server (version 2005 or 2008).

Once there, do a right-click on SQL Server Management Studio, then click on Properties

Now, follow below to modify the entry for Target:

Now the real task (we will be using the runas command) …

Modify the shortcut’s target as follows, and remember to replace <domain\user> with the values that correspond to your environment :

x64

SQL Server 2008

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /user:<domain\user> /netonly "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\Ssms.exe -nosplash"

SQL Server 2005

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /user:<domain\user> /netonly "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\SqlWb.exe -nosplash"

x86

SQL Server 2008

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /user:<domain\user> /netonly "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\Ssms.exe -nosplash"

SQL Server 2005

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /user:<domain\user> /netonly "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\SqlWb.exe -nosplash"

Since we modified the shortcut, we will need to fix the icon for SSMS. 

We will fix it by pressing the Change Icon… button and pointing to the original “icon” providers.

It is the executables for SSMS that hold the icon information, so we need to point to …

x64

SQL Server 2008

%ProgramFiles% (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\Ssms.exe

SQL Server 2005

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\SqlWb.exe

x86

SQL Server 2008

%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\Ssms.exe

SQL Server 2005

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\SqlWb.exe

When you start SSMS from a modified shortcut, you’ll be prompted for your domain password:

SSMS will show up stating a different account in the username box, but the parameters from the configuration you are doing above do work and will pass on correctly.