Windows Authentication Mode is the default and recommended authentication mode. It tactfully leverages Active Directory user accounts or groups when granting access to SQL Server.

Short quick problem.<BR><BR>My SQL server keeps changing its authentication mode from Mixed to Windows only. I need it to stay in mixed mode in order for our in house application to work. I keep ...

In SQL Management Studio (not Enterprise Mgr), right click the server name -> Security -> Server authentication -> OK.

We’ll use Windows Authentication Mode as opposed to SQL Server Mixed Mode. (Mixed Mode comprises Windows Security and SQL Server’s own security model.

This feature, known as Extended Protection for Authentication (Extended Protection, for short), helps secure connections to a SQL Server 2008 R2 server.