I try to connect to 127.0.0.1 with Windows Authentication using Management Studio Express 2008 but it never connects says it can't find the server or something. I ran the SQL Server Express 2008 Installer and it said that it was already installed but I can't find any wizard or shortcut to start up anything that will allow me to actually start setting up a local database, what gives?
(Windows 7 x64)
Services were off, turned them on, still not connecting to (local) because of an error: Error 40 could not open a connection to sql server error: 2
NOTE: Turned of windows firewall, same error! everything is local... services running, firewall down, tcp/ip enabled in config... hmm...
Typically, SQL Server Express will install into a "named instance" called SQLExpress.
Try connecting to:
(local) as well as just a dot "." stand for the local machine, and \SQLExpress is the default named instance name for SQL Server Express installations.