Windows Login can't access SQL Server even with SYSADMIN role I'm working on AD permissions and have removed my user account from the Domain Admins security group. Now I'm having difficult accessing my SQL Server database with my Windows login. The login is in the sysadmin server role group and has mapped permissions to databases on the server. Any ideas why I can't access the server itself?

I will say that if I add a security group that my Windows login is a part of and give that group read permissions...I can then access the server.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!
Create a regular account that goes in a group that has sysadmin on the database. Then restart your SQL Server management studio and log on using windows authentication. You can start SSMS using the "Run-as" to log on with a different account than you used to log onto your desktop

This gives you Separation of responsibilities between domain admins and database administrators.