MS SQL Server: ERROR: Cannot connect to SQL Server or SQLEXPRESS, SQL Server does not allow remote connections
If you are using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio to connect to your SQL Server and getting the following error message:
Cannot connect to SQL Server or SQLEXPRESS
Here's a solution your can try.
Posted by LazyAssCoder
on Jan 16, 2009
493 Views
Report Abuse
Tags: SQL Server, SQLEXPRESS, Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, Error
Error Message
Cannot connect to SQL Server or SQLEXPRESS
An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server 2005, this failure may be caused by the fact that under the default settings SQL Server does not allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1)
Solution
- Goto Control Panel > Administrative Tools, click on Services
- Look for a service name: SQL Server Browser(Provides SQL Server connection information to client computers.), check to see if the service has started. If not, right click over the services name and click on Start.