How to fix Error 4620 on Windows Server 2025 / Windows 11

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Troubleshooting Guide: SQL Server Error 4620 – Mixed Permission Scope in GRANT/DENY/REVOKE Statements

Why This Error Happens

This error occurs when a single GRANT, DENY, or REVOKE statement attempts to combine permissions that exist at different security scopes, such as mixing a server-level permission (e.g., ALTER ANY DATABASE) with a database-level permission (e.g., SELECT) in the same command. SQL Server 2025 enforces strict scope validation during permission statement parsing, so the batch fails before any permissions are applied. This is typically caused by poorly constructed T-SQL scripts, auto-generated permission scripts from migration tools, or manual errors when copying permission statements between environments.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

Step 1: Identify the Conflicting Permission Scopes

  • Open the failing script in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Azure Data Studio.
  • Review the Microsoft documentation’s permission hierarchy table (Server, Database, Schema, Object) to classify each permission in your statement.
  • Look for a mix like GRANT CREATE ANY DATABASE, SELECT ON OBJECT::dbo.Table1 TO [User] — here CREATE ANY DATABASE is server-scoped while SELECT is object-scoped.

Step 2: Split the Statement by Scope

  • Break the single statement into multiple statements, one per scope level.
  • Example fix for a server + database scope conflict:
  USE master;
  GRANT CREATE ANY DATABASE TO [User];

  USE YourDatabaseName;
  GRANT SELECT ON OBJECT::dbo.Table1 TO [User];
  • Ensure each batch explicitly runs under the correct database context using USE <DatabaseName>; before execution.

Step 3: Validate and Re-run the Corrected Script

  • Open a new query window in SSMS running against Windows Server 2025 / Windows 11 client tools.
  • Execute each scope-specific statement individually to confirm no further scope mismatches exist.
  • Check for typos in object names (e.g., OBJECT::, SCHEMA::, DATABASE::) that might cause SQL Server to misinterpret the intended scope.

Step 4: Audit Scripts Generated by Third-Party or Migration Tools

  • If the script was auto-generated (e.g., from a database migration or backup/restore permission export tool), inspect the generation logic or template.
  • Update the tool’s export logic to separate server-level, database-level, and object-level grants into distinct output blocks.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • Run SELECT * FROM sys.fn_builtin_permissions(DEFAULT); to cross-reference each permission name with its correct covering scope (SERVER, DATABASE, SCHEMA, OBJECT) before writing new grant statements.
  • If the error persists, use SQL Server’s built-in Generate Scripts wizard in SSMS to re-generate permission scripts automatically scoped correctly, rather than hand-editing legacy scripts.