Cannot add diagram to SQL Server 2005 DB: Database diagram support objects cannot be installed because this database does not have a valid owner.

1 min read

When trying to add a diagram to an SQL Server 2005 db I got the following error:

Database diagram support objects cannot be installed because this database does not have a valid owner. To continue, first use the Files page of the Database Properties dialog box or the ALTER AUTHORIZATION statement to set the database owner to a valid login, then add the database diagram support objects.

I tried the suggestion mentioned in the message but that didnt work.  Also found that SQL Server Management Studio does not like you trying to change various permissions – it only works certain ways (go figure).

Anyway, eventually found this  with the solution (thanks very much to ) being:

In SQL Server Management Studio do the following:

  1. Right Click on your database, choose properties
  2. Goto the Options Page
  3. In the Dropdown at right labeled “Compatibility Level” choose “SQL Server 2005(90)”
This article is part of the GWB Archives. Original Author: gwbarchive

New on Geeks with Blogs

  • We Won The One Award I Actually Care About

    Full Scale made the Inc. 5000 for the fifth year straight, the 12th listing across my three companies. Here is why the one award you cannot buy is worth stopping for.

  • Your Customers Build the Features Now

    I let a tool I liked sit dead for a year rather than build the features I wanted. An MCP server meant I never had to, and your customers can do the same to your product.

  • Get the Size of a Directory in Linux the Easy Way

    du -sh for the quick answer, ncdu for the cleanup, df for the disk itself: every command for checking directory size in Linux, plus why du and df never agree.

  • Vim Search and Replace: The Ultimate Guide

    One :%s command replaces every match in a file before a find dialog would even open. The Vim substitute patterns worth the muscle memory: flags, ranges, capture groups, and multi-file edits.