[RESOLVED] SQL Server 2012 Express Connection String

[Doogle]

I have a VB2008 program accessing a Database. It's been working ok on SQL Server 2008 R2 Express using:

    Private Sub frmLogon_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
        AppName = My.Settings.AppTitle
        Me.Text = AppName + " - Logon"
        Try
            SQLcon.ConnectionString = "Server=.\SQLEXPRESS; Initial Catalog=EPOD; Integrated Security=SSPI;"
            SQLcon.Open()
        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox("Unable to Connect to EPOD Maintenance Database " + ex.Message, , AppName)
        End Try
    End Sub

Having attached the Database to SQL Server 2012 Express, it fails to connect, the error being displayed is:
"Unable to Connect to EPOD Maintenance Database 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: SQL Network Interfaces, error 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified)"

If I use VB6:

Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim dbUser As String
Dim dbPassword As String
Dim dbName As String
Dim dbServer As String
Set db = New ADODB.Connection
dbName = "epod"
dbServer = ".\SQLEXPRESS"
db.ConnectionString = "Provider = SQLNCLI11;Data Source=" & dbServer & ";Initial Catalog=" & dbName & ";Integrated Security = SSPI"
db.Open
End Sub

the connection is fine.

Any ideas ?

[si_the_geek]

Is SQLcon an SQL* based object rather than an OLEDB* one?

If so an OLEDB one (with the provider specified) will probably work, but not be ideal.

There is presumably a setting for the SQL* objects (or an updated version you can download) which would enable it to work... but unfortunately I don't know what.

[abhijit]

Is there a possibility that other versions of SQL Server express editions are running on your computer?

[techgnome]

That's what I was wondering too... the post title mentions SQL Server 2012... and then the initial post mentions that it works fine with SQL Server 2008... which tells me there was SQL Server 2008 Express installed... and then SQL Server 2012 Expressed was installed. Which means you have TWO instances of SQL Server Express running. So you need to find out what the instance name is for the new SQL Server 2012 Express, since the default .SQLEXPRESS is probably pointing to the 2008 install.

-tg

[Doogle]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm very embarassed to say that there was another problem in the .Net code which was causing the 'last good build' to be used (a message which I completely misunderstood) and therefore was trying to use a different SQL Server instance since the source code changes I had made were ignored.

Having corrected the other error it all works fine now.

[abhijit]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm very embarassed to say that there was another problem in the .Net code which was causing the 'last good build' to be used (a message which I completely misunderstood) and therefore was trying to use a different SQL Server instance since the source code changes I had made were ignored.

Having corrected the other error it all works fine now.

Glad to know that your issue has been resolved. Could you please mark this thread as resolved?