Getting permission for user "sa" on SQL Server Express 2005

I originally installed SQL Server Express 2005 on my computer using Windows Authentication mode, and discovered when I tried to add another user/login that I didn't have permission to do so. This is rather odd as the windows account that I installed SQL server with is the system admin for the computer.

I have successfully changed the login mode to mixed, and have tried to login in as "sa", but it appears that "sa" was given some sort of password (did SQL server automatically generate one?), and I don't know what it is. When I go into command prompt and try to change the password, it says that it cannot alter the login 'sa' because it does not exist or I do not have permission (i'm pretty sure it's the later, as 'sa' shows up on the list of logins in SQL server express).

I'm so stuck! Please help!Log into the instance, and run the following stored procedure:

sp_helpsrvrolemember

this will tell you what group or login has been added tot he sysadmin group. You may simply need to add yourself to a local windows group to get sysadmin privileges.|||"sa" is the only member of that server role.

where do I see which users are members of what local windows groups?|||nevermind that last bit.
I am a member of the administrators group in the Windows local group...
Should I try logging on as the "administrator" user and seeing if I can make the changes there?|||How was this instance installed? Usually BUiLTIN\ADMINISTRATORS is a sysadmin. There is also an option to specify an sa password on installation.|||I'm not really sure how I figured this out, but I went in and added myself to every Windows local group that had something to do with SQL and now I am able to do administrative stuff in my database.
*phew*|||I think my system came with SQL server express 2005 already installed on it.

I did go in enable the Administrator's account in the Windows Users accounts, in addition to adding myself to a bunch of groups, and now when I run the query previously mentioned, BUILTIN\ADMINISTRATORS is listed as a sysadmin - which must be what is giving me, one of the administrators, sysadmin privileges.

Getting past SQL Network Interface error 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified

First-time poster (and very new to ASP.NET, so please be patient) - I am using VS 2005. I have an ASP.Net 2.0 app that is using Forms Authentication and a Login server control with AspNetSqlMembershipProvider. I have an instance of ASPNETDB.MDF in the App_Data directory on my local machine and all works well (or at least as expected). I used the Copy Web Site function to port the app (including the ASPNETDB.MDF files) to my production platform, where I encounter the error mentioned in the subject line. I have found posts (both here and other forums) that mention enabling TCP/IP using Surface Area Configuartion Utility, SQL Server Browser are exempt from firewall, and a few other things. My production machine does not have SQL SVR 2005 installed nor SQL SVR Express.

Do I have to install SQL Server Express onto my production platform in order to resolve this, or is there another means (something in SQL Server 2005 Management Studio on my local machine) that will enable me to do this on the production machine?

Also, I have been told that it is possible to use a database on another machine as the data store for authentication. Does anyone know how to do that? This would make the first question moot.

Thanks in advance!

Then you cannot run your application because SQL Server is RDBMS (relational database management systems). When you install SQL Server then follow the steps in this thread. Hope this helps.

http://forums.asp.net/thread/1403472.aspx

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Thanks for the response, but I worked out my optimum solution on my own (the "Aslo" part of my original post. Using the aspnet_regsql.exe, I have my authentication database on a full SQL Server 2005 box elsewhere in my enterprise, and I worked out the web.config setting to make it work.

I understand that SQL Server is the underlying DBMS. That point was not in question. The issue was, (now moot) was it truly needed on the same box, and if not, how to make it work.