Cant Add new connection in SQL SERVER EXPRESS

Hi,

I am relatively new to this. I have installed VB 2005 and that has installed a version of SQL Server 2005 Express on my local development machine. I am using VB to develop some demo sites and i can create DB's in the App_Data file and they work when I test and run then by pressing Ctrl + F5.

However i have some demo tutorials that require Northwind and Pubs to do them. So i have installed Northwind and Pubs using the cms prompt and the InstNwnd.sql install. They said everything has been installed fine.

This is where the problem starts. I open new connection in VB, or asses for that matter and try to open my local server machine (just my desktop running WindowsXP pro), Which is called Optiplex. Sometimes i get the optiplex appear in the dropdown that asks for your to choose a server and other times it doesnt. Eevn if the machine appears it doesnt let me chose Pubs or northwind from the second drop down.

I think i must have SQexpress running on the machined named Optiplex because i have the SQL server configuartion manger on it. That tells me i am running SQL Server(SQLEXPRESS) and SQL Server Browser both switched on and running. By the way i have set my SQL manager to run as Local service.

One thing that i consider strange is that when i have had SQLServer Express running on other machines normally there was a little icon running in the right hand corner of the the task bar.

Does anyone know what is going on with my mchine and have i got the SQL server setup correctly?

Just one last piece of additionally information is that i have a folder called C:\SQL Server 2000 Sample Databases which is where the MDF files are located.

Thanks a million Sanson

Hi Sanson,

Could you give me some more details? Which database will the appliation connect to? SQL Server 2005 Express or SQL Server 2000 ? You mentioned that you have a folder called C:\SQL Server 200 Sample Database which is where the MDF files located, Have these MDF files (Northwind and Pubs) be attached to SQL Server by using Management Satudio? If not,pls follow the steps below:

1. Copy your .mdf file and .ldf(if exists) to another folder.
2. Right click on Databases, and select Attach from the popup menu.
3. In the Attach Databases dialog box,click Add button and select the .mdf file.
4. Click OK to finish, and the database will be atached to your database list in Management Studio.

Thanks.

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Thanks for your help.

What had happened was i hadnt installed SQL Management Studio. Once i did everything got sorted out and they were in there.

However i still cant use the upsizing wizard in Access to upsize a database to SQL. I always get a connect error.

Now however i get a the name of my server come up in the dropdown box, which is somethong i suppose.

sql