title: Connect to sql server 2008 using Microsoft Server Management Studio
body: <p>I have difficulties connecting to my MS SQL Server and I can't find tutorial or answer how to do this, even though I think this should be something pretty standard. </p>
  
  <p>My current setup is this - I have freshly new Installed Visual <code>Studio 2010</code> and followed <code>Beth Massi's</code> article <code>Step-by-Step: Installing SQL Server Management Studio 2008 Express after Visual Studio 2010</code> : <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/bethmassi/archive/2011/02/18/step-by-step-installing-sql-server-management-studio-2008-express-after-visual-studio-2010.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://blogs.msdn.com/b/bethmassi/archive/2011/02/18/step-by-step-installing-sql-server-management-studio-2008-express-after-visual-studio-2010.aspx</a></p>
  
  <p>But I'm not able to connect to a SQL Server. In my <code>Configuration Tools\SQL Server Configuration Manager</code> I see this when I open it :</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/hf6LX.png" alt="Configuration Manager Main View"></p>
  
  <p>I set to <code>Enable</code> all <code>TCP\IP</code> and <code>Named Pipes</code> (Just saw that this may be a problem) and in the properties of the <code>SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS)</code> from Services I see this:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/08uOY.png" alt="SQL config properties"></p>
  
  <p>I also see in the <code>Log On</code> tab this :</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/xwXPY.png" alt="SQL conf pass"></p>
  
  <p>some sort of password (not entered by me) it seems to be something default, but since I'm not sure where the problem is I try to show everything I think may have something to do with solving my problem.</p>
  
  <p>At the end I tried different options to connect to my SQL Server form the Management Studio I ended up with this:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/8aMDU.png" alt="SQL management studio and Error"></p>
  
  <p>As you see I get an error (included in order to be able to read it). I read the the machine name may be required so my User Account name is <code>Xman</code> and my machine's name is <code>Xman-PC</code>. Eveh though my printscreen image is not from this try I made an attempt to connect to the Server with <code>XMAN-PC\SQLEXPRESS</code> but again - no success.\</p>
  
  <p>Could you point me to a good tutorial on how to connect to a MS SQL Server (I can't believe there's nothing that explains in simple steps what you need to do to connect to a server) or could you tell me how to set-up my configurations so I actually can start to work with databases?</p>
  
  <p>P.S </p>
  
  <p>Forgot to mention in <code>Command Prompyt</code> - <code>sqlcmd</code> command also returns error - <code>Could not open SQL connection</code>.</p>
  
  <p>P.S</p>
  
  <p>Finally I managed to connect using <code>Windows Authentication</code> and <code>(local)\sqlexpress</code> for ServerName. Which at least means that everything is working. But now even more I would like to know how to connect using <code>SQL Server Authentication</code>. It must be something default as it was for <code>Windows Authentication</code>?!</p>