SQL SERVER – Fix Error – Cannot execute as the database principal because the principal “dbo” does not exist

One of my clients recently sent me an email with the following error. The error was visible in the error log and was about the database principal.

Cannot execute as the database principal because the principal “dbo” does not exist, this type of principal cannot be impersonated, or you do not have permission.

It is very simple to fix the error. It happens because of the database owner is blank in the database properties for the file. Here is the screenshot of the database property.

If you change the owner to the database owner or SA, it will start working again. Well, the solution is that simple.

Here are six-part blog post series I have written based on my last 10 years of experience helping with the Comprehensive Database Performance Health Check. I strongly recommend you to read them as they walk you through my business model.

• Consulting 101 – Why Do I Never Take Control of Computers Remotely?
• Consulting 102 – Why Do I Give 100% Guarantee of My Services?
• Consulting 103 – Why Do I Assure SQL Server Performance Optimization in 4 Hours?
• Consulting 104 – Why Do I Give All of the Performance-Tuning Scripts to My Customers?
• Consulting 105 – Why Don’t I Want My Customers to Return Because of the Same Problem?
• Consulting Wrap Up – What Next and How to Get Started

If you have any questions, you can always reach out to me on Twitter.

Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.SQLAuthority.com)