Problem connecting to SQL Server 2006 Express

I have been trying literally for months to get SQL Server 2005 Express to work on my Dell Dimension WinXPPro machine. I have installed and reinstalled both the server and the 'Management System'. I have shut down and restarted all of the related Local Component Services on my machine (with the exception of the SQL Server Active Directory Helper which will not start ?).

I have reviewed much of what is in this Forum related to SQL Server 2005 Express and I find that many have had similar problems. When a connection is attempted, the following message or some minor variation appears:

An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1)

In desparation, and at the suggestion of one of this forum's moderators, I went to try to download the SQL Server 2005 Express, Service Pack 2. I threaded my way through what I felt was an unecessarily complex set of links and finally reached a download site - but it was unclear whether or not the service pack was for SQL Server 2005 or the Express version. Giving up in dispair, it turn to you (once again BTW, I received no real help with this same question about a month ago).

Even though I seriously doubt if anyone will help me, I am willing to give it another try - mainly because I am home sick with the flu and having nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon.

Thanks

Hi,

the SQL Server Express Edition are already slipstreamed with the Service pack. So doenloading the SP2 for SQL Server Express will automatically bring you to the current SP level. it would be helpful to see with which application you tried to connect (and the connectionstring if you use one). Make also sure to enable remote connections which is disabled by default. See the Screencast on my site for more information about this.

HTH, Jens K. Suessmeyer.

http://www.sqlserver2005.de

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General E Pist wrote:

<font size="2">I have been trying literally for months to get SQL Server 2005 Express to work on my Dell Dimension WinXPPro machine. I have installed and reinstalled both the server and the 'Management System'. I have shut down and restarted all of the related Local Component Services on my machine (with the exception of the SQL Server Active Directory Helper which will not start ?).</font>

I have reviewed much of what is in this Forum related to SQL Server 2005 Express and I find that many have had similar problems. When a connection is attempted, the following message or some minor variation appears:

<blockquote><table width="85%"><tbody><tr><td class="quoteTable"><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="txt4" valign="top" width="100%"><br>An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1)<br></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote>

In desparation, and at the suggestion of one of this forum's moderators, I went to try to download the SQL Server 2005 Express, Service Pack 2. I threaded my way through what I felt was an unecessarily complex set of links and finally reached a download site - but it was unclear whether or not the service pack was for SQL Server 2005 or the Express version. Giving up in dispair, it turn to you (once again BTW, I received no real help with this same question about a month ago).

Even though I seriously doubt if anyone will help me, I am willing to give it another try - mainly because I am home sick with the flu and having nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon.

Thanks

I have found this same problem. I am trying to connect across a workgroup LAN, one PC W2kPro, One WinXPPro. I have now tried installing SQLExpress on both PCs. I have MS-SM Studio Express on both PCs. I still cannot connect to the WinXP machine from the W2K machine. Even the sseutil command line utility will not find the server running on the XP box when I use the -listsrv remote params. I disconnected from the internet, and turned off all firewalls, and still no conection. Tried IP address with Port, and still no joy. I was using the sa login and the correct password. I uninstalled SQLExpress, and re-installed. No good! The one thing that may be a problem, is that I have SQL 2000 Developer installed on both machines, but it is stopped. Using Studio Express on the XP box, I can connect to the local SQL Express and to the remote one on the W2K box. But what will it take to get a connection from the W2K box to the XP Box?|||Please post the error message you are getting. if you are in a workgroup you cannot use Windows authenntication, make sure you are using SQL Server authentication for connecting. Did you start SQL Browser on the computer in order to find the instances using -listsrv ? Did you also enabled remote connection ? You can find a screencast on my site how to enable it.

HTH, Jens K. Suessmeyer.

http://www.sqlserver2005.de|||

Jens K. Suessmeyer wrote:

Please post the error message you are getting. if you are in a workgroup you cannot use Windows authenntication, make sure you are using SQL Server authentication for connecting. Did you start SQL Browser on the computer in order to find the instances using -listsrv ? Did you also enabled remote connection ? You can find a screencast on my site how to enable it.

HTH, Jens K. Suessmeyer.

http://www.sqlserver2005.de

The error msg I get is..

An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=-1&LinkId=20476

I am using the sa login and password.
SQL Browser is running (have stopped and started it several times) on both PCs.
SQL Express is set to mixed mode authentication.
SQL Express was installed with the DISABLENETWORKPROTOCOLS=0 setting and all are showing enabled.

I have set the connection timout up to 40 seconds, from the default 15, just in case that helped.

I have been at this for about 12 hours today, and did get a connection once, about 15 minutes ago. But now when I try and re-connect, I am back where I was this morning. Time for bed now, try again tomorrow.. :-( Maybe rebooting both PCs again may help.

I will have a look at your screencast in case I have missed something.

Thanks
John G|||On rebooting both PCs this morning, I am now able to reliable connect and re-connect between the two PCs on the workgroup LAN.

I looked at Jen's Screencast and when I checked all my configuration items, they were already set to correct values.

I still do not know what the problem was yesterday, but thanks to the pointers from Jens and others, it all now works as expected.

Next time, I shall remember to try several reboots.