Error
Error Code:
262
SQL Server Permission Denied
Description
Error 262 indicates that a user or process lacks the necessary permission to perform a specific action within a database. This typically occurs when the user attempts to access or modify data or objects without proper authorization.
Error Message
%ls permission denied in database '%.*ls'.
Known Causes
4 known causesInsufficient User Permissions
The user account attempting the operation does not have the required permissions (e.g., SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, EXECUTE) granted on the target database or object.
Missing Database Role Membership
The user may not be a member of a database role (e.g., db_datareader, db_datawriter, db_owner) that grants the necessary permissions.
Object Ownership Issues
The user attempting the operation may not be the owner of the object or have sufficient permissions granted by the object owner.
Implicit Permission Denials
A higher-level permission denial might be overriding specific grants, causing the user to be denied access despite seemingly having the required permissions.
Solutions
4 solutions available1. Grant Necessary Permissions to the Login easy
Explicitly grant the required permission to the user's login on the specific database.
1
Identify the login that is encountering the permission denied error. This is usually the login associated with the application or user trying to access the database.
2
Identify the specific permission that is being denied. The error message often indicates this (e.g., 'SELECT', 'INSERT', 'EXECUTE').
3
Connect to SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) using an account with sufficient privileges (e.g., 'sysadmin' or a user with 'ALTER ANY LOGIN' and 'GRANT' permissions).
4
Execute the following T-SQL statement, replacing placeholders with the actual login name, permission, and database name.
GRANT [PermissionName] ON DATABASE::[DatabaseName] TO [LoginName];5
If the error is related to executing a stored procedure or function, grant 'EXECUTE' permission on that specific object instead of the entire database.
GRANT EXECUTE ON OBJECT::[SchemaName].[ObjectName] TO [LoginName];2. Add Login to a Database Role with Required Permissions easy
Assign the login to a predefined or custom database role that already possesses the necessary permissions.
1
Connect to SSMS with an account that has sufficient privileges.
2
Navigate to the target database in Object Explorer.
3
Expand the 'Security' folder, then expand 'Roles'. Examine existing database roles to see if any already grant the required permissions (e.g., 'db_datareader', 'db_datawriter').
4
If a suitable role exists, right-click on it and select 'Properties'. Go to the 'Members' page and add the login that is experiencing the error.
5
If no suitable role exists, you may need to create a custom role. Right-click on 'Roles' and select 'New Role...'. Define the role name and grant it the necessary permissions on the 'Securables' page. Then, add the login as a member.
6
Alternatively, you can use T-SQL to add a login to a role:
USE [DatabaseName];
ALTER ROLE [RoleName] ADD MEMBER [LoginName];3. Verify and Correct Login Mapping medium
Ensure the SQL Server login is correctly mapped to a database user and that the user has the expected permissions.
1
Connect to SSMS with an account that has sufficient privileges.
2
Navigate to the target database in Object Explorer.
3
Expand the 'Security' folder and then expand 'Users'. Find the database user associated with the problematic login.
4
If the user does not exist, you may need to create it: Right-click on 'Users' and select 'New User...'. Link it to the correct SQL Server login.
5
Right-click on the database user and select 'Properties'. Review the 'Membership' page to confirm it's part of the correct roles and the 'Securables' page to see explicit permissions granted to the user.
6
Use T-SQL to check user's role membership and permissions:
USE [DatabaseName];
SELECT dp.name AS DatabaseRoleName
FROM sys.database_role_members AS drm
JOIN sys.database_principals AS dp ON drm.role_principal_id = dp.principal_id
JOIN sys.database_principals AS mp ON drm.member_principal_id = mp.principal_id
WHERE mp.name = '[LoginName]';
-- To check explicit permissions on an object
SELECT * FROM sys.database_permissions WHERE grantor_principal_id = DATABASE_PRINCIPAL_ID('dbo') AND grantee_principal_id = DATABASE_PRINCIPAL_ID('[LoginName]') AND OBJECT_NAME(major_id) = '[ObjectName]';4. Check for Orphaned Users medium
Ensure that the database user is properly linked to a server-level login, especially after database detach/attach or migration.
1
Connect to SSMS with an account that has sufficient privileges.
2
Execute the following T-SQL query to identify orphaned users in the current database.
USE [DatabaseName];
SELECT SUSER_SNAME(sid) AS ServerLogin, name AS DatabaseUser FROM sys.database_principals WHERE sid IS NOT NULL AND sid <> 0x0 AND IS_SRVROLEMEMBER(SUSER_SNAME(sid)) IS NULL;3
If orphaned users are found (where 'ServerLogin' is NULL), you need to re-establish the link between the database user and a server login.
4
Use the 'ALTER USER' statement to associate the database user with an existing server login. Replace placeholders with the correct names.
ALTER USER [DatabaseUserName] WITH LOGIN = [ServerLoginName];5
If the server login no longer exists, you will need to create it first using 'CREATE LOGIN' before using 'ALTER USER'.