title: Connection string for remote SQL server 2008 without SQL Management Studio
body: <p>I know its a classic problem, but I am too novice to even comprehend the basics (sorry). I have this ASP.NET "Website" with databases (SQL Server 2008), which I am trying to deploy on a Remote Host Server (HostGator) using WebSite Copy tool of VS 2010. </p>
  
  <p>In VS 2010, I could grab the Connection string directly through the "property" of the database, which turned out to be: </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Data
    Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename="C:\Users\myName\Documents\Visual
    Studio 2010\WebSites\Experiment\App_Data\data.mdf";Integrated
    Security=True;User Instance=True</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Now, I know that a website called <a href="http://connectionstrings.com/" rel="nofollow">http://connectionstrings.com/</a> exists, but its too overwhelming for me at first glance. </p>
  
  <p>My current connection string:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Data
    Source=domainName.com\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=C:\inetpub\vhosts\domainName\httpdocs\Experiment\App_Data\data.mdf;Integrated
    Security=True;User Instance=True</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I am pretty sure, that this is wrong as its giving me the classic error of:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while
    establishing a connection to SQL Server..</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>But I don't know how to fix it. Where to start looking, how to initiate, how to get the parameters required to build the connection string. How to find the path of the <code>AttachDbFilename</code> ? Can you please help? </p>
  
  <p>I believe, that connection string is the only parameter which needs to be modified. If there's something else, then please suggest?  Also, I keep coming across the usage of SQL Management Studio to make things work, I don't have that, so is it hard to accomplish this without it? </p>
  
  <p>Please help, thanks. </p>