title: How to connect to SQL Server 2012 from vb.net
body: <p>I've looked through the Web for the better part of 2 days trying to find how to connect to SQL Server 2012 that came with VS Express 2013 for Desktop. </p>
  
  <p>Based on some things I found on various sites, in my connection string (starting with "") I've tried </p>
  
  <pre><code>Server=.\MSSQLEXPRESS;Database=BrightStar;user=root;password=root
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>then </p>
  
  <pre><code>.(local)\MSSQLEXPRESS
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>and </p>
  
  <pre><code>.(localhost)\MSSQLEXPRESS)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>as well as all combinations without the "MS" (just <code>SQLEXPRESS</code>). </p>
  
  <p>Nothing works so far. </p>
  
  <p>The error message is </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>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: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified)</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>So the question is, what is the instance name of the SQL Server that comes packaged with this version of Visual Studio? Also, I haven't gotten to the "user" and "password" parameters, but help would be welcome there, too. (I was guessing at "root".)</p>
  
  <p>If there's any other information I can provide that would be helpful, please ask.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks.</p>
  
  <p>(BTW, is this SQL Anywhere?)</p>