Can a policy catch a guest user left enabled in user databases? Here is a quick tutorial on identifying guest user access with Policy Based Management.
Moving Data Out of SQL Server in Open Formats
Move SQL Server data into open formats such as CSV, JSON, and Parquet while preserving types, NULLs, encoding, and readable files.
SQL SERVER – A Cool Trick – Restoring the Default SQL Server Management Studio – SSMS
Closed Object Explorer by mistake or moved windows around? Here is a cool trick for restoring the default SQL Server Management Studio window layout.
Guest User in msdb: Keep CONNECT and Avoid Error 916
The guest user in msdb needs CONNECT permission for features that run under logins without a user there. I reproduced error 916 in a test database on SQL Server 2025, with a query to check guest in msdb and a way to list every database where guest can connect.
SQL SERVER – Detecting guest User Permissions – guest User Access Status
Is the guest user enabled or disabled, and what is the default? I answer reader questions and show ways to detect guest user access status.
Declare and Initialize Variables in SQL Server: SQL in Sixty Seconds #003
To declare and initialize variables in one statement, give each variable a type and a starting value in the same DECLARE. The tests here show the NULL default, a loop that does not reset an uninitialized variable, and the one character varchar trap on SQL Server 2025.
SQL SERVER – Force Removing User from Database – Fix: Error: Could not drop login ‘test’
Error 15434: could not drop login ‘test’ because the user is logged in. A reader ran my demo on production; here is my Force Removing User fix, no restart needed.