After Upgrade to Windows 11, runas.exe No Longer Passes Windows Credentials to SSMS

After Upgrade to Windows 11, runas.exe No Longer Passes Windows Credentials to SSMS

If you have recently upgraded your operating system to Windows 11 and are experiencing issues with the runas.exe command not passing Windows credentials to SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), you are not alone. This article aims to provide a solution to this problem and help you regain the functionality you had before the upgrade.

Understanding the Issue

The runas.exe command in Windows allows you to run programs as a different user, either by specifying the username and password or by using the "runas /netonly" option to run the program with the credentials of the currently logged-in user. This is particularly useful when you need to access certain applications or resources that require different user credentials.

However, after upgrading to Windows 11, many users have reported that runas.exe no longer passes the Windows credentials to SSMS. This means that when you try to open SSMS using the runas command, it prompts you for the password every time, even if you have already entered it.

Possible Workaround

While Microsoft is aware of this issue, there is currently no official fix or patch available. However, there is a workaround that has been reported by some users to resolve the problem.

Here are the steps to try:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder where SSMS is installed. By default, it is located at "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 18\Common7\IDE\".
2. Locate the "Ssms.exe" file and right-click on it.
3. From the context menu, select "Properties".
4. In the Properties window, go to the "Compatibility" tab.
5. Check the box that says "Run this program as an administrator".
6. Click on "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.

After applying these changes, try running SSMS using the runas command again. Hopefully, it will now pass the Windows credentials without prompting for the password every time.

Other Considerations

If the above workaround does not work for you, or if you prefer not to run SSMS as an administrator, there are a few other options you can explore:

• Use the "runas /netonly" option and provide the credentials every time you run SSMS.
• Consider using a different method to connect to your SQL Server, such as Windows Authentication or SQL Server Authentication.
• Report the issue to Microsoft through the Windows Feedback Hub or other official channels, as this will help them prioritize and address the problem in future updates.

Conclusion

Although the runas.exe command not passing Windows credentials to SSMS after upgrading to Windows 11 can be frustrating, there are workarounds available to regain the functionality you had before. By following the steps mentioned in this article, you can hopefully resolve the issue and continue using SSMS without any interruptions.

References