I have had to change the default collation and the collation of SQL Server 2016 and did not want to re-install. It was a fresh setup but the backup and maintenance stuff was already setup. So I searched for a way to change the collation of SQL Server and the System DBs on an easy way. And luckily I found this blog entry from Giampaolo TUCCI ( https://www.informaticapressapochista.com/windows/sql-server-2016-change-sql-server-collation-installation/ ). As described there it was in general very easy. ❗ My Server was a fresh install. In other cases do a good Backup in advance before you continue ❗ A downtime is needed as you need to stop SQL Services. So this is the approach: Stop all SQL Services start a cmd and go to the SQL Server BINN directory. Default should be C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Binn> run the following command: sqlservr -m -T4022 -T3659 -q"SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS" After q set the collation you want to...