Have you ever experienced the following: You forgot your Primavera P6 application password, which was installed stand-alone on your computer when you tried to log in?
If you forget your Primavera login password, there are two things you can do, as below:
- Reset the old password without deleting the database. You reset the old password with the new one so you can use the application while still using the previous database.
- Reinstall the database. You reinstall the Primavera application database so that the old database is replaced (deleted and replaced) with the new one. You want to avoid this if you already have important data in the database before. (Warning: This method will delete your old data).
Before you choose, whether number 1 or number 2, do a Primavera database backup first. This needs to be done so that you still keep the previous database when your database is deleted or the data changes.
To back up your Primavera database, do the following:
- Go to the folder where the database is stored. In Primavera, which is already using SQLite database, by default, the data is stored in the following folder: C:\Users\USER\Documents\PPMDBSQLite.db. The database storage location may be different from the above location, depending on the storage location when you installed primavera.
- Backup or Copy the PPMDBSQLite.db file and save it in the new folder you have prepared. For example, I backup my database as below location:

Reset Old Password Without Deleting Database
Continue the steps to reset the Primavera login password if you still need the database in use (which is currently installed on your Primavera application).
Here are the steps you need to take to reset the password:
- Download the SQLite browser database application to reset the existing password on your Primavera database. The way is by accessing the following Url: https://sqlitebrowser.org/
- On the SQLite browser page, there will be a download option according to the operating system. Choose the latest version or the one that suits your computer’s operating system.
- When I wrote this article (March 2022), since I am a Windows 10 user, I downloaded version 3.12.2.

- After downloading the SQLite browser application, install the application. You do this by clicking on the installer you downloaded and following the instructions to completion. Here’s an illustration of how to install SQLite browser:
Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Step 6:

- After the SQLite application is installed on your computer, open the application. The way is to go to your Windows menu click the DB Browser (SQLite) menu.

- Next, in the DB Browser for the SQLite application, open your Primavera database. Browse to your Primavera DB file.

Open SQLite file:

- Next, open the Execute SQL tab. Type the following command to see the username you are logged in with: Select USER_NAME from users.

- After that, at the bottom will appear a list of user names used in your Primavera application. For example, below, I use the user name ADMIN.
- Then remove the previous command and run the following command: update users set passwd=null where user_name=’ADMIN’. Make sure the uppercase and lowercase letters match the user name. For example, I use the user name ADMIN (all caps).

- After the command is executed successfully, click Close Database on the top right and make sure you click Save when a confirmation appears whether you want to save changes.

Click Save:

- Now, try running your Primavera application and log in to the Primavera application without using a password (leave the Password field blank). Click Connect.

- You should be able to login to Primavera without using a password. After logging in, then reset your password in the application. How: go to the menu Edit -> User Preferences…

- Next in the User Preferences… window, leave the Please enter your current password field blank (because you have previously reset the password to null using the SQLite browser).

- Next, enter your new password. When finished, click OK.
Also, read about how to Install Primavera P6 Standalone.
Reinstall the Database (Warning: This method will delete your old data)
- Run your Primavera application. In the Login window, select the Database tab, then click the Configure button.

- Then, the Database Configuration window will appear. Leave it by default; click Next.

- Next, select Add a new standalone database and connection.

- Next, enter your new password and confirm the password. Click Next.

- Customize where you save the database file or leave it at the default. Then click Next.

- Then click Yes to confirm you will delete the old database.

- Then click Finish.

- Now, you can log in using the new user name and password you created earlier.
Also, read about: Primavera P6 Training Jakarta.
Unable to Connect to Database
Another thing that may prevent you from logging in to the database is the picture below:

The above can be caused because the privileges in your application to access the database have changed. It could be because of the protection system on your computer or other factors.
What I usually do when this happens is the following:
- When you open the Primavera application, right-click on the application’s shortcut.
- Run the application as Administrator (Run as administrator).

- You can try to log in again.