App_Data/ASPNETDB.MDF to Sql Server 2005 (or 08) <p>I've been developing an ASP.NET WebForms app that needed account login functionality (e.g. register new users, change passwords, recover passwords, profiles, roles, etc). To do this, I used FormsAuthentication with the default data store, which, to my surprise, is an MDF file in App_Data. When it comes time to actually deploy this app. live on the web, I'm going to use some shared hosting like GoDaddy or another cheap company.</p> <p>For efficiency, I'd like to switch over from this MDF to actual SQL Server 2005 or 2008 (who in their right mind uses flat files?). With shared hosting, however, I'm not going to be able to run any programs like aspnet_regsql.exe. I'll just have a single login and password to a SQL Server database, and an FTP account into the domain root. No MSTSC remote desktop, no console access, no tinkering in IIS, etc.</p> <p>I won't need to transfer any user accounts from ASPNETDB.MDF (site will be starting with zero users), but how am I suppose to:</p> <p>1) Easily create the tables, procedures, etc. that Visual Studio automatically created in ASPNETDB.MDF when I used Web Site Administration Tool to get started with FormsAuthentication?</p> <p>2) Have the SQL membership provider use a connection string I give it instead of using whatever it is now to connect to this ASPNETDB.MDF. Hell, I don't even see any connection string to this MDF in the web.config; how the hell is my app. even finding it? Machine.config? That would be a poor decision if that's the case. This behind-the-scenes crap drives me nuts.</p> <p><strong>Any help from someone who has been through this migration would be very, very much appreciated!</strong></p>