Gonz,

SQL Server 2005 has better performance than SQL Express 2005 for sure. It doesn't matter where your SQL Server 2005 locate as long as you have the credential conenct to it. Yes, change the connection string in your web.config file. Just Forget about SQL Express 2005.

Yes you will need to attach both databases (personal and aspnet) and change both connection strings.  If you will be eventually hosting this site on a third party hosting company you should change the SQL Server to mixed authentication (windows/sql server) and use a user/password to access the database.  This will make moving the site to live that much easier especially if you setup the hosting sites db and your developement db with the same user/password.

You also would be wise not to attach the databases in the app_data folder either.

- Will

You do not need SQL Express. I use both depending on what I'm doing.

You can cut-and-paste the database from the App_Data folder to where ever you keep your database files, and then attach the db from SQL Server.

Then change the connection strings. Here is what I use for working back and forth between SQLExpress and SQL Server.

<remove name="Personal"/>

<!-- Connection for SQL 2005 Express -->
<add name="Personal" connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLExpress;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|personal.mdf" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>

<!-- Connection for SQL Server 2005 -->
<!--add name="Personal" connectionString="Server=(Local);user id=test;password=test;database=Personal"/-->

<remove name="LocalSqlServer"/>

<!-- Connection for SQL 2005 Express -->
<add name="LocalSqlServer" connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLExpress;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|personal.mdf" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/>

<!-- Connection for SQL Server 2005 -->
<!--add name="LocalSqlServer" connectionString="Server=localhost;user id=test;password=test;database=Personal" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient"/-->

I have been struggling with this very same issue...tried your connection string but am not able to get it to work. 

Cannot open database requested in login 'Personal'. Login fails.
Login failed for user 'personal'.

for testing Personal is the db name and the username.

From looking at the connection string for express it looks like the database is created when you build which makes sense.  However, what confuses is me is that the connection string for 2005 doesnt appear to be creating the database.

Do I need to create the database first if I am not using Express?

Thanks in Advance!
Michael

Michael404 wrote:

I have been struggling with this very same issue...tried your connection string but am not able to get it to work. 

Cannot open database requested in login 'Personal'. Login fails.
Login failed for user 'personal'.

I'm getting this error too when I want to create something with SQL Express. I have also SQL Server 2005 installed (that one first).

Michael404 wrote:

From looking at the connection string for express it looks like the database is created when you build which makes sense.  However, what confuses is me is that the connection string for 2005 doesnt appear to be creating the database.

Do I need to create the database first if I am not using Express?

Yes, if you only use SQL Express then aspnetdb.mdf is created automatically for you but when you want to use SQL Server then you first need to install it with the aspnet_regsql.exe tool. A good explanation can be found here: http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2005/08/25/423703.aspx

Grz, Kris.