SQL Server Management Studio Express

Question

How to get SQL Server Management Studio Express to find server?? A moderator from here sent me some code & other info on how to get the SQL to query a database. Step 1:Server name "local". It all ends there! Error:

A network related, or instance specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL server. The server was not found, or was not accessable. Verify that the instance name is correct & that SQL is configurted to allow remote connection. ( Proveder: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40- Could not open a connection to SQL Server) ( Microsoft SQL Server, error:53)

That's as far as I ever get, & still it's farther than I've ever gotten in the last year! Why is this SQL so hard to start? I have 4 different computers, All XP, ( 3 home, 1 Media ) I have went so far as to not only uninstall SQL & reinstall, but I've even reformatted all the computers several times! Still NOTHING! I have never connected to the "Northwind" nor have I ever gotten the OR to work. I can't even get the Local to work. I'm using the express studio 2008, & server 2005, I think. I go to download '08, but it always says '05!

I need to get this thing to work with a local database, not an online one. My program needs a music scale database, which I have made, that works with data navigators, but I cannot query it. I MUST be able to query it!

Any ideas? All help greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

With the local Database is it SQL Server Express. If so you will need to connect using the following format for the server name.

<ServerName>\SQLEXPRESS

Where server name would be the name of the machine that you are trying to connect to. If it is local you can try .\SQLEXPRESS. If you do not know the instance name you can look at the services application for the server and the instance name will be part of the Service name. For example the Express install should give you a service name like.

SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS), where express would be the instance name.

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Answer 2

Hi docfnt,

From your another thread: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sqldatabaseengine/thread/467d0e48-165d-4a88-bab1-7cff4f9e8522
, I know that you use sdf as database, and now you want to connect to this database file, right?

If I am right, please follow steps:
1. Open SQL Server Management Studio Express
2. Click "File | New | SQL Server Compact Query"
3. In the "Connect to SQL Server Compact Edition" dialog, expand dropdown list to the right of "Database file:", and select "<Browser for more...>"
4. In the "Browser for Files" dialog, locate to that database file and click "OK"
5. If this database have password, please fill the text box to the right of "Password:"
6. Click "Connect" buttron
7. Now you can query your database

If you have any further issue, please let me know.

For more information:
"Managing SQL Server Compact Edition Databases with SQL Server Management Studio": http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms172933%28SQL.90%29.aspx

Regards,
Tom Li - MSFT