How to connect to Windows Internal Database (WID) with SQL Server Management Studio

The Windows Internal Database (WID) is used by the following Windows server components:

• Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
• Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)
• Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS)
• Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM)

For Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008, you can use the following named pipes (NP) string:

\\.\pipe\MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE\sql\query

On Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016 you must use a different np connection string:

\\.\pipe\MICROSOFT##WID\tsql\query

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Windows Internal Database not starting

Hi!,

Today I received a weird problem from my ADFS test environment, when I tried to navigate to the main SharePoint page it throws an error from the ADFS, so I decided to check the ADFS server to see what was the problem. To my surprise the ADFS service was stopped and when I tried to start the service it won’t fire up, things starting weird…

So after checking some things, I remember that this installation was made with the Windows Internal Database, so I decided to check the service, but it was also stopped, and when I tried to start it again it throws the following error message:

Service: MSSQL$MICROSOFT##WID
Domain and account: NT SERVICEMSSQL$MICROSOFT##WID

This service account does not have the required user right “Log on as a service.”

I don’t know if anyone of my company changed the policies or included the server in the policies overwritting all the policies previously configured by myself, but I had to solve this issue, otherwise I cannot continue with my tasks in the project.

To solve this thing, it was needed to change the Group Policy Management in the local computer, so enter to the local policy and navigate to Computer Configuration, Policies, Windows Settings, Security Settings, Local Policies, User Rights Assignments.  Edit Log on as a service and add the following groups:

IIS_WPG
NETWORK
NETWORK SERVICE
SERVICE

After this groups were added, run gpupdate/force on the server and then try to start the WID, in my case it was succesful so I was able to start again the adfs service and continue with my tests.

Hope it helps!