New Install VS 2005 Pro & SQL Server 2005 Dev Problem

VS looks OK and MSSQLSERVER and SQLEXPRESS etc. show in 'Services/Local' as started/automatic.

I am trying to do Management Studio Tutorial. For the change from SEM.

The problem is in opening SQL Server Management Studio there is a dialog

'Connect to Server' showing Type = Database engine, Authentication = Windows Authentication, Server name = blank.

When I enter Server name = MSSQLSERVER and press Connect I get an error message 'Cannot connect to MSSQLSERVER… Error 53.

How do I get to see the tutorial and recognise the SQL?

XP.Pro on a big fast machine for Web development all on the one machine

Some experience of SQL Server on W2K and W2K3 with VS. Notice the SQL Server does not show in the task bar as before.

To answer my own question in case it helps others.

This looks like Catch22 at first sight.

In 'Connect to Server' dialog Click 'Options'.

See a change to two tabs, 'Local' and 'Connection Properties'.

Click 'Server Name' and browse for more. Click.

Shows Browse for Servers and my two instances, with names different to what shows in Services. Is this for security?

Select, click Connect and the SSMC shows with 7 items, hurray.

The annoying thing is there is nothing to indicate how to do this on the dialog.

The Help topic of the dialog name does not help, as usual.

Polite comment. I notice there are few queries similar to my question in this forum. Does this mean I am unusual or people have a better place to go for such.

I will certainly be a frequent user of the forum for Web applications in VS/VB.

|||Thank you for sharing your solution. it may help others in the future.

Derekfoxes wrote:

Polite comment. I notice there are few queries similar to my question in this forum. Does this mean I am unusual or people have a better place to go for such.

There are a lot of people here who are very conversant with SQL Server. But installation and setup for SQL Server 2005 is relatively new and we're not yet used to all of the common pitfalls and their solutions. TheSQL Server newsgroups are probably the best place for that level of question as more of the SQL Server MVPs tend to hang out there, or perhaps theSQL Server Forums at the MSDN Forums.|||

Thanks for the reply and the two sites.

Trying to install Adventure Works now.

Tiny point, the forum ack and notifications are arriving duplicated.

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Derekfoxes wrote:

Tiny point, the forum ack and notifications are arriving duplicated.

Thanks for the alert; we areaware of the problem and the source code update should be forthcoming.