SQL Server Management Studio

Question

I just downloaded the SQL Server Management Studio but when I want to use it, it asks for the server name, and it doesn't show me any options.  I did some research and I was told to use the computer name or the computer name \sqlexpress but neither one of them works.

I don't know where to find the name of the instance.  Could you please help me because I cannot get started.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi 

Ty .\sqlexpress or localhost\sqlexpress and try to connect..... If it does not work please post entire error message you are getting from...

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Best Regards,Uri Dimant SQL Server MVP,http://sqlblog.com/blogs/uri_dimant/

Blog : MS SQL Development and Optimization

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Answer 2

From

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms365247(v=sql.100).aspx

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) provides a graphical management tool for SQL Server 2008 Express (SQL Server Express), SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services, and (SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1). The SSMSE user interface is a subset of SQL Server Management Studio that is available with other editions of SQL Server 2008.

So the assumption here is that you already had SQL server database engine installed through SQL server express or Express with Advanced services.

seems you just download SSMSE and installed it without having SQL engine installed on the box.

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Regards,
Ahmed Ibrahim
SQL Server Setup Team
My Blog
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Answer 3

As Ahmed mentioned, it sounds like you only have the client tools (SSMS) used to connect to an instance of SQL Server, either on the local machine or on a remote machine.  If you did not install an instance of the engine as well, you have nothing to connect to.  One option to get started is to download and install Express Edition (http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/editions/2012-editions/express.aspx).  After that, you can open SSMS and connect to this instance.  During install, you can specify the name of the instance or leave it as the default of SQLEXPRESS.

Thanks,
Sam Lester (MSFT)

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My Blog

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" and "Vote as Helpful" on posts that help you. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Answer 4

Hi Tirina !

To verify that you have MS SQL Server installed on your Machine, please do the following steps;

Go to Run -> Services.msc -> SQL Server (Your Instance Name). Please locate service with name "SQL Server" the instance name will be inside parenthesis.

Once you identified the instance name you will be able to connect with using "YourMachineName\YourInstanceName" or "LocalHost\YourInstanceName"

Please let me know if this helps. Hopefully i have answered you correctly.

Thanks, Hasham