Tip: Finding SQL Server instances

Greetings all,

Recently a co-corker was installing a programme that uses SQL Server Express and required you to 'enter the sql server and instance name' while activating a certain service. He was unsure of the instance name and I was called in to help.

I opened SQL Server Management Studio on my laptop but the name of the server hosting the SQL database was not showing.

Solution: To make the server name appear on the list, enable and start the 'SQL Browser' service on the computer hosting SQL Server. This can also be done with SQL Server Configuration Manager, under 'Network Configuration', right click 'protocols for SQL Server 2005' and select properties. Here you decide whether to show or hide the instance name.


If you have this problem and dont have Management Studio handy, there are other, less Kosher ways of finding the instance name like

1- Start uninstalling SQL Server on the target computer, it will prompt you to select which instances you wish to uninstall. (After you have the instance name make sure you click the cancel button ;)

2- In computers that have SQL Server Express but not Management Studio, open a comand prompt and type 'sqlcmd -L'. the 'L' stands for List Servers.


Hope this helps, cheers


Walt :wave:

Thanks for posting the tips Walt. They are appreciated. :wave: