Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not connect; Error 2

I have installed MSSQL 2005 successfuly, checked the services their are running I can connect to the

server with Intergrations Services ok. I get the following when I try to connect to the Database Engine

(provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not
open a connection to SQL Server) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 2)

What file is SQL looking for (net helpmsg 2)?

Thanks for the help

Did you enable remote conenctions ? Check my website for the screencast which explains how to enable the Remote connections on your instance.

Jens K. Suessmeyer

http://www.sqlserver2005.de
|||Would this be true for a standalone PC? I don't have SQL Server installed on a remote server.|||

For a standalone PC, you want to disable remote connections for TCP/IP and Named Pipes but you probably want to enable them locally (especially considering that you are trying to use named pipes here). So you should start SQL Server Configuration Manager, then go to "Protocols" then enable both TCP/IP and Named Pipes. To make sure that remote computers cannot connect to your machine -- go to SQL Server Surface Area Configuration -> Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections ->Remote Connections and turn off remote connections.

That should do it,

John