title: Entity Framework not creating database when using sqlserver express
body: <p>The Entity Framework will not create my database when using SQL Express but it works fine if I use SQL Server CE.</p>
  
  <p>I have been trying to figure this out for a couple of days now, but it is probably my inexperience with ASP.NET and MVC.</p>
  
  <pre><code> ConnectionStrings:
  &lt;connectionStrings&gt;
      &lt;!--
      &lt;add name="CRM"
           connectionString="data source=|DataDirectory|CRM.sdf"
           providerName="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0" /&gt;--&gt;
  
      &lt;add name="CRM"
           connectionString="data source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated Security=SSPI;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|\CRM.mdf;User Instance=true"
           providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" /&gt;
  
      &lt;add name="ApplicationServices"
           connectionString="data source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Integrated Security=SSPI;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|aspnetdb.mdf;User Instance=true"
           providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" /&gt;
    &lt;/connectionStrings&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>StackTrace:</p>
  
  <pre><code>System.InvalidOperationException was caught
    Message=Unable to complete operation. The supplied SqlConnection does not specify an initial catalog.
    Source=System.Data.Entity
    StackTrace:
         at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlProviderServices.GetDatabaseName(SqlConnection sqlConnection)
         at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlProviderServices.DbCreateDatabase(DbConnection connection, Nullable`1 commandTimeout, StoreItemCollection storeItemCollection)
         at System.Data.Objects.ObjectContext.CreateDatabase()
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.DatabaseOperations.Create(ObjectContext objectContext)
         at System.Data.Entity.Database.Create()
         at System.Data.Entity.CreateDatabaseIfNotExists`1.InitializeDatabase(TContext context)
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.&lt;&gt;c__DisplayClass5.&lt;PerformDatabaseInitialization&gt;b__3()
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.PerformInitializationAction(Action action)
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.PerformDatabaseInitialization()
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.&lt;InitializeDatabase&gt;b__4(InternalContext c)
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.RetryAction`1.PerformAction(TInput input)
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.InitializeDatabaseAction(Action`1 action)
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.InitializeDatabase()
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.Initialize()
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.GetEntitySetAndBaseTypeForType(Type entityType)
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.Initialize()
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.get_InternalContext()
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.ActOnSet(Action action, EntityState newState, Object entity, String methodName)
         at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.Add(Object entity)
         at System.Data.Entity.DbSet`1.Add(TEntity entity)
         at MvcApplication1.Controllers.CustomerController.Create(Customer customer) in C:\Users\hlcole\Documents\RegProjects\MvcApplication1\MvcApplication1\Controllers\CustomerController.cs:line 55
    InnerException: 
  </code></pre>