How to delete ADFS Windows Internal Database without access credentials

Windows Internal Database (codenamed WYukon, sometimes referred to as SQL Server Embedded Edition) is a varient of Microsoft SQL Server Express 2005, and is included with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2. It is also included in Windows Sharepoint 3.0 and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0, where a full version of Microsoft SQL Server may not be available. Other services can also use this database engine if needed, such as Active Directory Rights Management Services, and Windows System Resource Manager. Once the Windows Internal Database has been installed, it can’t be uninstalled via the “add/remove features” wizard (it appears greyed out, so you can’t de-select it).

Windows Internal Database currently only comes as a 32bit application, and if installed on a 64bit operating system, it will be installed under “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server” by default. The tool used to connect to the Windows Internal Database is the same as used for the full version (and express editions) of Microsoft SQL Server, which is the SQL Server Management Studio (or SQL Server Management Studio Express). 

Note: Windows Internal Database, is the fact that you can’t make remote connections to the database. The design is such that only the computer that has it installed, can access the databases. As such, the only connection method you can use to connect to a Windows Internal Database, is to use the Named Pipes protocol. When connecting to a Windows Internal Database, you must use the fairly obscure named pipes syntax listed below, as the server/instance name in SQL Server Management Studio.

Deleting ADFS Windows Internal Database

There are 2 ways to get delete ADFS Windows internal database without access credentials or having issues overwriting the WID, simply perform either of the two steps.

Step 1: Install Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express

– Connect to windows internal database using “\.\pipe\MICROSOFT##WID\tsql\query”

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

– Now delete AdfsArtifactStore and AdfsConfiguration database

Step 2: Uninstall Windows Internal Database feature

In case you do not have access to the windows internal database, use this second option.
– In my case I used this option below (Uninstall Windows Internal Database feature)

Go to Server Manager
– Click Manage
– Click on Remove Roles and Features

Walk through the steps and click on next

– Under Server Roles, select “Active Directory Federation Service” and

– Click next and select “Windows Internal Database” under features
– Click next and finish the uninstall.

Note: Before we can install roles and features back again we have to delete the database files.

Open a CMD and run the command below. Please see the following reference link.

del C:\Windows\WID\data\adfs*

That’s it for How to delete ADFS Windows internal database without access credentials. I hope you found this blog post helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment session.