title: SQLExpress instance seems to be absent
body: <p>I am trying to connect to a SQL Server Express instance on my laptop; I have SQL Server 2008 installed in my system, but when I try to put the instance <code>(local)/SQLEXPRESS</code> or <code>Jashobanta-PC/SQLEXPRESS</code> in my system, I am not able to connect to it. It is appearing that it is not even present in my system.</p>
  
  <p>I am getting the following error  :-</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p><em>A network-related or instance-specific error has occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. Server is not found or not accessible. Check if instance name is correct and if SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. For more information see SQL Server Books Online..</em></p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I have tried using the <code>SQLCMD</code> command tool also for this, but the result is same:-</p>
  
  <pre><code>sqlcmd -E -S .\SQLEXPRESS
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Here also the same error is appearing.</p>
  
  <p>Is there any chance that <code>SQLEXPRESS</code> is not installed in my system? But as MVC Code First uses SQL Server Express, I need it. When I use code first, then the files are created fine, but how it is connecting, where it is creating the database, it is not known.</p>
  
  <p>Any suggestions will be helpful.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks in advance
  Jashobanta</p>