Home/ Questions/Q 8571961
In Process

The Archive Base Latest Questions

Editorial Team
  • 0
Asked: 2026-06-11T18:53:54+00:00

I have a 2nd computer that I’ve installed Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express on.

  • 0

I have a 2nd computer that I’ve installed Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express on. I got it up and running with SQL Server Management Studio and created some tables and stuff.

But I want to be able to connect to it from my other PC, the one I usually work on in my home. But when I try to make a connection I get this error:

enter image description here

Now, I’ve checked a couple of things:

  • doing a \\SERVER in explorer from my computer works. So im guessing DNS is ok.
  • I’ve tried to turn the firewall on the server off, connect and back on again with no luck.
  • both SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) and SQL Server Browser services are running (SQL Server Agent is not).
  • TCP on port 1433 is turned on.

Server name: SERVER is a result in the dropdown there.

Share

Leave an answer

You must login to add an answer.

Need An Account,

1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    1) It sounds like the instance you’re trying to reach is SQL Express. In which case the instance will be called myserver\sqlexpress (“SQLEXPRESS” literal; case doesn’t matter). “myserver” won’t work with a “named instance”; “myserver\sqlexpress” might do the trick.

    2) You MUST enable TCP/IP with the SQL Configuration tool (installed when you installed MSSQL and SSMS).

    3) You should turn off the firewall (brute force – don’t do it if you don’t have to) or enable MSSQL in the firewall (MSSQL is not enabled by default)

    ‘Hope that helps – please post back what you find.

    PS:

    Useful link:

    • 0