Hi,

Well, it turns out that I may be okay after all?

My understanding is that LocalDB is installed with VS (I did choose SQL Server Data Tools when I installed VS). Though I was unclear exactly how to connect to it. Searched online and found a very helpful post:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2...erver-explorer

In SSMS, I 'thought' I had tried logging in to a SQL Server LocalDB instance, using (LocalDB)/v11.0 as the server name, and it failing. Just recently I tried it and it worked! So I recreated the PlanetWrox database that way, and am now able to connect to it from VS without error. So, this being the case, will I be okay going through the rest of the book?

Yep, with (LocalDB)\v11.0 you should be good to go...

Imar

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I too am having the same error, but here are some facts that I hope might be helpful in troubleshooting my issue.

I have a version of 2016 SQL Management Express (probably no big deal?)
I installed 2012 SQL Express as a side by side.
I did not install LocalDB
I am using a computer from home that has a VPN into my work.
The instance I created was SQL2012Express
I was able to open 2012, and create the wrox DB from the script download.
The mdf file was appropriately added to my App_Data folder.
When I logged into SQL 2012 Express, I could not use (LocalDB)v11.0
I had to instead use DEVSPARE\SQL2012Express
I THINK that DEVSPARE might be a server from the work VPN, not my local.
But I don't know that for sure.
I did create PlanetWrox DB once and then delete it and then create it using the script. Could this be the "already open" issue - or does this have something to do with permissions?
The reason I think this may be from my VPN at work is because the instance full name is: DEVSPARE\SQL2012EXPRESS (SQL Server 11.02100 - FOXHQ\DanielP)

FOXHQ is a domain that I use for my work log in.

Any ideas? I can get access to the DB in SQL 2012 - easily. But I can't attach or connect via VS 2015.

Hello Imar:

If I want to skip the 2012 exercises and just use the controls with a DB in my 2016 SQL MS instead, how do I create an instance for my own purposes instead of reinstalling 2016?

For example, My 2016 SQL has a connection (instance) for my work on a server called Scorpio. I don't want to mess with that. How do I connect to my own local instance w/out reinstalling anything?

>> I did not install LocalDB
...
>> When I logged into SQL 2012 Express, I could not use (LocalDB)v11.0

That makes sense to me. Hard to log into something that's not installed ;-)

You should be able to connect to DEVSPARE\SQL2012Express or just
.\SQL2012Express. Did you try this from within SSMS?

Imar

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I was able to use DEVSPARE\SQL2012EXPRESS, yes.
But when I tried to connect in VS 2015, I got the same connection error as stated in another post. I tried to manually connect, by right clicking on add connection as an alternative to double clicking the mdf file, but the dialog box told me that I didn't have permissions on the file. But I can access the same DB from within SSMS.

Also, can you please tell me how to create another instance in my already installed SSMS 2016. I need to "keep" the work instance I have, but create another one for myself.

It could be a permissions issue where you as a user have access to the file but the account used by SQL Server doesn't; hard to tell. I would install LocalDB side by side as it makes this stuff a lot easier to deal with.

>> Also, can you please tell me how to create another instance in my already installed SSMS 2016. I need to "keep" the work instance I have, but create another one for myself.

You can rerun the SQL Server installer and it should allow you to install another instance with a different instance name. Why would you want this?

Imar

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Thanks, I understand now how to create another instance, but yes, you were also correct in wondering why I would need one. It turns out that I didn't, and I was okay now. But I'm not okay double clicking the mdf file, I still get that same error everyone else is getting.

However, I'm up and running now with a connection to my DB. I can't remember how I did it, but there is an mdf file in my folder, and I do have a connection that's allowing me to drag tables, etc. and carry forward with the book instructions. I just can't seem to establish a connection by double - clicking on the file.

When I first tried to manually connect (before my posts here) it would not show the database. But after I started again, it did. Maybe in reinstalling (trying to get another instance - which I am not using, by the way) - I somehow refreshed objects or what have you.

In any case, the bottom line is that I still have a red "X" on my connection, but I'm accessing tables and have a connection string in web.config that's working for me. Go figure...

This is why I want to stay employed as a developer and never apply for any SQL Admin jobs!