Hi Imar,

I am having trouble connecting to the database provided in the book for the first time. I am using Visual studio 11 beta and I have a sql server R2 installed. Im not sure if VS 11 uses its own built in sql server version but I cant connect to the books data base. It keeps giving me errors like: this file is not compatable with the latest version..

Is there a newer database file somewhere that I can download?

I can create a new database for my website in VS just fine, but Im not sure how to tell what version it is.

I read somewhere that I can upgrade the .mdf file but I'm not sure how to do that. Thanks.

OK, I ran around in circles for hours until I decided to start from scratch with a new test website.
I copied the .mdf file and put it in App_Data and tried to connect..
same error about not the right version...
I then did this and it worked finally!
Server explorer
right click .mdf file
modify connection
make sure data source is:
Microsoft SQL Server Database File
choose the PlanetWrox.mdf
OK
this time it asks you if you want to update the DB file to the newest version
click yes

Why didnt it do this before? i'll never know..
anyways..

Hi there,

Thanks for the update.

VS 11 installs another free version of SQL Server calld LocalDB. it should work with older MDF files as well, so I am not sure what went wrong here.

If you also have an Express edition installed you can set the default SQL Server for Visual Studio under Tools | Options | Database tools | Data Connections.

Hope this helps,

Imar

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Imar Spaanjaars
http://Imar.Spaanjaars.Com
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Author of Beginning ASP.NET 4.5 : in C# and VB, Beginning ASP.NET Web Pages with WebMatrix
and Beginning ASP.NET 4 : in C# and VB.
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