How to add a group to the sysadmin fixed server role in SQL Server 2008 R2?

Question

How can i add a group to the sysadmin fixed server role in SQL Server 2008 R2?

See my related question for details step-by-step screenshots detailing showing that you're not allowed to add groups to the sysadmin role.

Background information

Before SQL Server 2008 R2, members of the local Administrators group were automatically added to the sysadmin fixed server role. Starting with SQL Server 2008 R2 that group is no longer added. The new recommended mechanism is to:

...create a separate Windows group containing the appropriate DBAs and grant that group the sysadmin role in the database.

How do i "grant a Windows group the sysadmin role"?

See also

• Adding a Member to a Predefined Role (SQL2000)

  ...users who are members of the BUILTIN\Administrators group are members of the sysadmin fixed server role automatically.

• Server-Level Roles (SQL2008R2)

• BUILTIN\Administrators member of SYSADMIN fixed server role

Related questions

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• How to add sysadmin to user in SQL Server 2008 when no sysadmin accounts exist (reinstall)
• MS SQL Server 2005 server role problem
• SQL Server 2005 Accidentally removed a user from public role, can't add user back into role

Answer 1

As stated, SQL 2008 R2 no longer adds the administrators group as a SQL login by default. You first have to add the Administrators group as a SQL Server principal.

CREATE LOGIN [BUILTIN\Administrators] FROM WINDOWS

(or see this article for more information on how to add a login)

You can then add that group to the sysadmin role.

sp_addsrvrolemember
    @LogiName='BUILTIN\Administrators',
    @RoleName='sysadmin'