Sql – Cannot connect to local SQL Server with Management Studio

localhostsqlsql server

I'm having an issue with SQL Server, I have 2005 installed on my desktop as well as having SQL Server Management Studio installed..

I've checked and can see "SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS)" started in services.

I've tried to connect to "Local" and "SQLEXPRESS" but both fail to connect.

A network-related or instance-specific
error occurred while establishing a
connection to SQL Server. The
server was not found or was not
accessible. Verify that the instance
name is correct and that SQL Server is
configured to allow remote
connections. (provider: Named Pipes
Provider, error: 40 – Could not open a
connection to SQL Server) (.Net
SqlClient Data Provider)

Anything else I need to do to connect to it??

UPDATE

I seem to be getting a little further along now. Ive managed to connect to my server with SQL Server Management (FYI .\SQLEXPRESS did the trick) but now im having a issue with my connection string in my web.config

Ive im going to connect to this local sql server using windows authentication how do i need to structure it??

Something like this?

<add name="BensBoxing" connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=BritBoxing_Alpha;Integrated Security=False;User Instance=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>

This produces a error about

Best Answer

Check the sql log in the LOG directory of your instance - see if anything is going on there. You'll need to stop the service to open the log - or restart and you can read the old one - named with .1 on the end.

With the error you're getting, you need to enable TCP/IP or Named pipes for named connections. Shared memory connection should work, but you seem to not be using that. Are you trying to connect through SSMS?

In my log I see entries like this...

Server local connection provider is ready to accept connection on [\\.\pipe\mssql$sqlexpress\sql\query ]

As the comments said, .\SQLEXPRESS should work. Also worstationName\SQLEXPRESS will work.

Syntax:

ALTER TABLE {TABLENAME} 
ADD {COLUMNNAME} {TYPE} {NULL|NOT NULL} 
CONSTRAINT {CONSTRAINT_NAME} DEFAULT {DEFAULT_VALUE}
WITH VALUES

Example:

ALTER TABLE SomeTable
        ADD SomeCol Bit NULL --Or NOT NULL.
 CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol --When Omitted a Default-Constraint Name is autogenerated.
    DEFAULT (0)--Optional Default-Constraint.
WITH VALUES --Add if Column is Nullable and you want the Default Value for Existing Records.

Notes:

Optional Constraint Name:
If you leave out CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol then SQL Server will autogenerate
a Default-Contraint with a funny Name like: DF__SomeTa__SomeC__4FB7FEF6

Optional With-Values Statement:
The WITH VALUES is only needed when your Column is Nullable
and you want the Default Value used for Existing Records.
If your Column is NOT NULL, then it will automatically use the Default Value
for all Existing Records, whether you specify WITH VALUES or not.

How Inserts work with a Default-Constraint:
If you insert a Record into SomeTable and do not Specify SomeCol's value, then it will Default to 0.
If you insert a Record and Specify SomeCol's value as NULL (and your column allows nulls),
then the Default-Constraint will not be used and NULL will be inserted as the Value.

Notes were based on everyone's great feedback below.
Special Thanks to:
@Yatrix, @WalterStabosz, @YahooSerious, and @StackMan for their Comments.

Sql – How to return only the Date from a SQL Server DateTime datatype

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, @your_date))

for example

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, GETDATE()))

gives me

2008-09-22 00:00:00.000

Pros:

No varchar<->datetime conversions required
No need to think about locale

UPDATE

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Sql – Add a column with a default value to an existing table in SQL Server

Syntax:

Example:

Notes:

Sql – How to return only the Date from a SQL Server DateTime datatype

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