title: Resolving SQL "The network path was not found" error
body: <p>I have built a very small ASP.NET site using MS Access 2010 as the database, which works in test mode. This is for an offline intranet application, so I'm not concerned about security - hardware access is the route for hacking here. This is all being built in VS WebExpress 2012.</p>
  
  <p>When I try to publish to IIS 7.5, open the website's splash page and then proceed to page two, I'm being given two top-tier error messages:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>[Win32Exception (0x80004005): The network path was not found]</p>
    
    <p>[SqlException (0x80131904): A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 40 - Could not open a connection to SQL Server)]</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>My connection string is:  </p>
  
  <pre><code>Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source="C:\inetpub\wwwroot\App_Data\PersonalArt Version 0055.accdb";Persist Security Info=True
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I don't know why this is creating a SQL Server error, as I'm not trying to use SQL Server.  </p>
  
  <p>I've tried looking into the SQL Server side of things <a href="http://blog.sqlauthority.com/2009/05/21/sql-server-fix-error-provider-named-pipes-provider-error-40-could-not-open-a-connection-to-sql-server-microsoft-sql-server-error/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. I have checked that SQL Server is running, that SQL Browser is enabled and running, and that the appropriate ports are open in the firewall.</p>
  
  <p>I have added a connection string to IIS 7.5 that at least points to <code>ACE.OLEDB.12.0</code>, but I cannot remove the default connection string for SQL Server Express.</p>
  
  <p>I've looked <a href="http://databases.aspfaq.com/database/what-should-my-connection-string-look-like.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> about the construction of connection strings, and I've seen instructions about removing bad connections strings and replacing them <a href="http://forums.asp.net/t/1454592.aspx" rel="nofollow">here</a> (but I'm afraid of this because I don't understand it).</p>
  
  <p>I intend to use a WIFI tablet controller, and I've established that IIS is working well enough that I can see an index page on the controller.</p>
  
  <p>So I've been bouncing around trying to figure out if this is an IIS problem, a SQL install/manage problem, or a firewall/security problem.</p>