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title: "Create a Database User | Microsoft Docs"
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# Create a Database User
This topic describes how to create a database user mapped to a login in [!INCLUDE[ssCurrent](../includes/sscurrent-md.md)] by using [!INCLUDE[ssManStudioFull](../includes/ssmanstudiofull-md.md)] or [!INCLUDE[tsql](../includes/tsql-md.md)]. The database user is the identity of the login when it is connected to a database. The database user can use the same name as the login, but that is not required. This topic assumes that a login already exists in [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)]. For information about how to create a login, see [Create a Login](../../2014/database-engine/create-a-login.md).
**In This Topic**
- **Before you begin:**
[Background](#Restrictions)
[Security](#Security)
- **To create a database user, using:**
[SQL Server Management Studio](#SSMSProcedure)
[Transact-SQL](#TsqlProcedure)
## Before You Begin
### Background
A user is a database level security principal. Logins must be mapped to a database user to connect to a database. A login can be mapped to different databases as different users but can only be mapped as one user in each database. In a partially contained database, a user can be created that does not have a login. For more information about contained database users, see [CREATE USER (Transact-SQL)](~/t-sql/statements/create-user-transact-sql.md). If the guest user in a database is enabled, a login that is not mapped to a database user can enter the database as the guest user.
> [!IMPORTANT]
> The guest user is ordinarily disabled. Do not enable the guest user unless it is necessary.
As a security principal, permissions can be granted to users. The scope of a user is the database. To connect to a specific database on the instance of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)], a login must be mapped to a database user. Permissions inside the database are granted and denied to the database user, not the login.
### Security
#### Permissions
Requires `ALTER ANY USER` permission on the database.
## Using SQL Server Management Studio
##### To create a database user
1. In Object Explorer, expand the **Databases** folder.
2. Expand the database in which to create the new database user.
3. Right-click the **Security** folder, point to **New**, and select **User…**.
4. In the **Database User – New** dialog box, on the **General** page, select one of the following user types from the **User type** list: **SQL user with login**, **SQL user without login**, **User mapped to a certificate**, **User mapped to an asymmetric key**, or **Windows user**.
5. In the **User name** box, enter a name for the new user. If you have chosen **Windows user** from the **User type** list, you can also click the ellipsis **(…)** to open the **Select User or Group** dialog box.
6. In the **Login name** box, enter the login for the user. Alternately, click the ellipsis **(…)** to open the **Select Login** dialog box. **Login name** is available if you select either **SQL user with login** or **Windows user** from the **User type** list.
7. In the **Default schema** box, specifies the schema that will own objects created by this user. Alternately, click the ellipsis **(…)** to open the **Select Schema** dialog box. **Default schema** is available if you select either **SQL user with login**, **SQL user without login**, or **Windows user** from the **User type** list.
8. In the **Certificate name** box, enter the certificate to be used for the database user. Alternately, click the ellipsis **(…)** to open the **Select Certificate** dialog box. **Certificate name** is available if you select **User mapped to a certificate** from the **User type** list.
9. In the **Asymmetric key name** box, enter the key to be used for the database user. Alternately, click the ellipsis **(…)** to open the **Select Asymmetric Key** dialog box. **Asymmetric key name** is available if you select **User mapped to an asymmetric key** from the **User type** list.
10. [!INCLUDE[clickOK](../includes/clickok-md.md)]
### Additional Options
The **Database User – New** dialog box also offers options on four additional pages: **Owned Schemas**, **Membership**, **Securables**, and **Extended Properties**.
- The **Owned Schemas** page lists all possible schemas that can be owned by the new database user. To add schemas to or remove them from a database user, under **Schemas owned by this user**, select or clear the check boxes next to the schemas.
- The **Membership** page lists all possible database membership roles that can be owned by the new database user. To add roles to or remove them from a database user, under **Database role membership**, select or clear the check boxes next to the roles.
- The **Securables** page lists all possible securables and the permissions on those securables that can be granted to the login.
- The **Extended properties** page allows you to add custom properties to database users. The following options are available on this page.
**Database**
Displays the name of the selected database. This field is read-only.
**Collation**
Displays the collation used for the selected database. This field is read-only.
**Properties**
View or specify the extended properties for the object. Each extended property consists of a name/value pair of metadata associated with the object.
**Ellipsis (…)**
Click the ellipsis **(…)** after **Value** to open the **Value for Extended Property** dialog box. Type or view the value of the extended property in this larger location. For more information, see [Value for Extended Property Dialog Box](http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/ms189353.aspx).
**Delete**
Removes the selected extended property.
## Using Transact-SQL
#### To create a database user
1. In **Object Explorer**, connect to an instance of [!INCLUDE[ssDE](../includes/ssde-md.md)].
2. On the Standard bar, click **New Query**.
3. Copy and paste the following example into the query window and click **Execute**.
```
-- Creates the login AbolrousHazem with password '340$Uuxwp7Mcxo7Khy'.
CREATE LOGIN AbolrousHazem
WITH PASSWORD = '340$Uuxwp7Mcxo7Khy';
GO
-- Creates a database user for the login created above.
CREATE USER AbolrousHazem FOR LOGIN AbolrousHazem;
GO
```
For more information, see [CREATE USER (Transact-SQL)](~/t-sql/statements/create-user-transact-sql.md).
## See Also
[Principals (Database Engine)](../../2014/database-engine/principals-database-engine.md)