Cannot connect to SQL Server DB Engine...Instance Contains SQL Express in Name

SP WannaBe

I recently installed SQL Server and Visual Studio. When I went into SQL Server, I could only connect to a SQL EXPRESS Database engine. I need to access the full Database. I tried disconnecting it, uninstalling/reinstalling. Now I cant connect to the SQL EXPRESS DB Object. There are no SQL Server services running.

Please help.

Thanks

Ekrem Önsoy


Hello,


SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is installed with Visual Studio 2005 by default. Of course, if you select that choice when you setup Visual Studio.

So it's quite normal SQL Server Express Edition is installed in your environment too. If you want to install another edition of SQL Server, then I suggest you to obtain an evaluation copy from:

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/downloads/trial-software.mspx

Regarding to the problem, first ensure that your SQL Server service is running. You can run services.msc or SQL Server Configuration Manager to see that. If it insists not running, then tell us the error message. Besides, you better take a look at the Event Viewer to see if there is any error message specific to SQL Server's service.

Madhu K Nair

Nick2Net wrote:

I recently installed SQL Server and Visual Studio. When I went into SQL Server, I could only connect to a SQL EXPRESS Database engine. I need to access the full Database. I tried disconnecting it, uninstalling/reinstalling. Now I cant connect to the SQL EXPRESS DB Object. There are no SQL Server services running. Please help. Thanks

you can connect to Database engine only when the Service is running... How are you connecting to SQL Server.. are you connecting trhough your application.. Are you using UserInstance feture of sql server express

Madhu

Nick2Net

Thank you for your interest.

I am trying to connect to the database engine on the PC I installed SQL Server on. I thought it was only connecting to SQL Express so I removed that connection from Mgt Studio. I cant seem to get rid of sql express (reference), but now I cant even connect to that. There are other SQL Servers on the network, however, I am waiting for permissions to connect to them. For now I just want to be able to connect to the engine on my PC. I hope this is making sense.

THanks

Ekrem Önsoy

How do you want to use your SQL Server I'm not sure you have uninstalled it or not However, to be sure that your SQL Server service is running, you must take a look at the SQL Server Configuration Manager. Check SQL Server services using that configuration tool which is can be found Start\Programs\Microsoft SQL Server 2005\Configuration Tools.

If they are running, then you can access your SQL Server databases using SSMSE for example. If you have not it, you can download it from the following link. SSMSE is a GUI that makes you available to control your SQL Server environment using an user interface.

https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx familyid=C243A5AE-4BD1-4E3D-94B8-5A0F62BF7796&displaylang=en

Nick2Net

Ekrem

Thank you for that information. I have more details to help pinpoint the problem. I have the enterprise version which I installed. (I installed the developer's version on a different machine and had access to all services locally). I uninstalled and reinstalled. When IK view services, I see SQL EXPRESS service running, not SQLSERVER. SO I can connect locally to a SQL Express instance, however, I cannot connect to the DB server, to which I have full permissions. The first message I receive had a reference to the pipes, so I enabled pipes on the DB server. I went to connect to it again, and cannot see it in my list of browsed servers. UGH !

Nick2Net

Ekrem

As stated in my previous post:

Thank you for that information. I have more details to help pinpoint the problem. I have the enterprise version which I installed. (I installed the developer's version on a different machine and had access to all services locally). I uninstalled and reinstalled. When IK view services, I see SQL EXPRESS service running, not SQLSERVER. SO I can connect locally to a SQL Express instance, however, I cannot connect to the DB server, to which I have full permissions. The first message I receive had a reference to the pipes, so I enabled pipes on the DB server.

The error I received is as follows:

An error has occurred while establishing an error to the server. ....this failure may be caused by the fact that under default settings of SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes provider: error 40. could not open a connection to SQL Server IMS SQL Server error 53)

Thanks

Ekrem Önsoy

It's clear that your SQL Server service does not run and so you get that error message while trying to connect to your instance.

From the scenario you told, I see that there is a Default Instance which is SQL Server Enterprise Edition and your primary SQL Server insance and also there is another Named Instance which is SQL Server Express Edition.

The problem about your primary Default Instance could be because of its service account. I suggest you to check it out from SQL Server Configuration Manager. Fire it up and check out the SQL Server service account from its properties. Try to run it. If it does not run, then write down the error message. Also, check out the Event Viewer about this error. It sometimes gives better information about the error's reason. And tell us those messages.