Log in as another SQL Server user via SSMS to check their permissions? I am getting a little further into the database administration side of things and starting to set up security access to SQL server databases for users. I have a question:

Once I have given a set of permissions to an AD authenticated user via SSMS, is there a way I can 'log in' as that user to the SQL server to check and confirm that I've given them the correct privileges? I'm also logged in as an AD user with my own permissions so I wouldn't be able to log in as their AD account ID/password.

Thanks :)
You can run SSMS as a different user via runas /netonly as described here.

However for that method you would need to know the other user's password.

You can also use EXECUTE AS to impersonate that user from inside a query window logged in as you (as long as you have the required permissions to do so).

EXECUTE AS 'user_name';

/* Some SQL Statements */

REVERT;


Or you could adopt a policy of never granting permissions to users directly but always granting them to Windows groups or database roles. Then you just need to have another dummy user that you can grant the same role membership to.