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Asked: 2026-06-18T09:24:36+00:00

The following is a connection string generated when I connect to a database using

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The following is a connection string generated when I connect to a database using a configuration tool with Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server.

Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Password=password;Persist Security Info=True;User ID=sa;
Initial Catalog=database;Data Source=localhost;Use Procedure for Prepare=1;
Auto Translate=True;Packet Size=4096;Workstation ID=computer1;
Use Encryption for Data=False;Tag with column collation when possible=False

If I connect to the same database but with SQL Server Native Client 10.0 I get this connection string.

Provider=SQLNCLI10.1;Integrated Security=\"\";Persist Security Info=False;
User ID=sa;Initial Catalog=database;Data Source=localhost;Use Procedure for Prepare=1;
Auto Translate=True;Packet Size=4096;Workstation ID=computer1;
Initial File Name=\"\";Use Encryption for Data=False;
Tag with column collation when possible=False;
MARS Connection=False;DataTypeCompatibility=0;Trust Server Certificate=False\0

I have a c# application that reads either one of these connection strings and uses it to create a connection to my database like so

SqlConnectionStringBuilder _sqlConnectionStringBuilder = new SqlConnectionStringBuilder();
OleDbConnectionStringBuilder conBuilder = new OleDbConnectionStringBuilder( CONNECTION STRING SHOWN ABOVE);
_initialCatalogValue = (string)conBuilder["Initial Catalog"];
_dataSourceValue = conBuilder.DataSource;

_sqlConnectionStringBuilder.Password = (string)conBuilder["Password"];
_sqlConnectionStringBuilder.UserID = (string)conBuilder["User Id"];
_sqlConnectionStringBuilder.InitialCatalog = _initialCatalogValue;
_sqlConnectionStringBuilder.DataSource = _dataSourceValue;
_sqlConnectionStringBuilder.PersistSecurityInfo = true;

_conn = new SqlConnection(_sqlConnectionStringBuilder.ConnectionString);
_conn.Open();

The problem that when I use the SQL Server native client the password is empty and my SQLConnection will fail on the login. The error I get is “Login failed for user ‘sa'”.

The OLE DB connection string is successful. Is my login failing for the sql server native client due to some of the classes I am using in c#? Does the Sql Server Native Client 10.0 encrypt the password? Should I try to identify which provider is in the connection string and have two different code paths? If so what would it take to connect?

Basic question is, how can I ensure a successful connection regardless of which connection string I receive (only the two above)?

N.B. I have no control over the connection strings. I can only work with what I am receiving.

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    The problem was solved as follows.

    There was a main application that was making use of the above connection strings and was doing the following.

    The application would take the connection string.
    If the connection string’s provider is SQL Server Native Client (SQLNCLI10.1) the application checks for persistent security. If it cannot find any it adds IntegratedSecurity=SSPI to the connection string and then connects using windows authentication instead. Whether or not this is the right (or secure thing to do) that is what was being done.

    To ‘answer’ the question. You can take in the connection string and if you do not find a password you can set IntegratedSecurity=SSPI. This will allow you to connect using windows authentication instead of SQL Server authentication. I am not advising that you do, but it will work.

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