Problem using SQL Server Express 2008

floridaguy · August 18th, 2011, 07:58 AM

Imar

I am using SQL Server Express 2008

I have followed the steps on page 406 ensuring I have the correct permissions.

I have tried both versions of PlanetWrox.mdf, the enterprise version and the express version.

When I drag and drop either of them into the App_Data directory of my brand new project and double click on it in Visual Studio 2010 Professional, as instructed in the Try It Out step 4 on page 407, I get this error message:

Failed to generate a user instance of SQL Server due to a failure in starting the process for the user instance. The connection will be closed.

I was successful connecting another database on this instance of SQL Server Express 2008 to Visual Studio using this connection string
<add name="TrackerConnectionString" connectionString="Data Source=localhost,3432;Initial Catalog=Tracker;Integrated Security=True;MultipleActiveResultSets=true;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>

Any help you could provide would be appreciated.

Imar · August 19th, 2011, 07:23 AM

Hi there,

You may want to take a look here:

Failed to generate user instance of SQL Server
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/For...5-cac99740949b

Deleting the user folder mentioned in the MSDN post seems to have helped others in the past.

Cheers,

Imar

floridaguy · August 19th, 2011, 08:13 AM

When I follow the steps you describe here:
Chapter 12 Can't access PlanetWrox.mdf

I changed "SQLEXPRESS" to "localhost,3432" under Tools | Options | Database Tools | Data Connections since that is what I use in the connection string for the database that works on my local instance of SQL Server Express 2008

Then I get a different error message:
"Connections to SQL Server database files (.mdf) require SQL Server 2005 Express or SQL Server 2008 Express to be installed and running on the local
computer. The current version of SQL Server Express can be downloaded at the following URL: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125883"

Does this help you help me at all?

floridaguy · August 19th, 2011, 09:02 AM

Well, it is working now.

I changed the SQL Server logon in services to local and I deleted the
C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server Data\SQLEXPRESS
folder as you suggested.

I don't know if both steps were required or if I could have just deleted the folder to solve the problem.

Thanks for your help

Imar · August 19th, 2011, 09:35 AM

Great, glad it's working and thanks for the follow up.

Cheers,

Imar