Can't gain access to my database created though Visual Studio?
database, sql-server, sql-server-2008, visual-studio, visual-studio-2010
Solution
When you create a database on the server (using SQL Server Management Studio), you don't have to (and should not!) fiddle around with the database file(s) anymore - let the server handle that for you.
Instead: do a Add Connection in Visual Studio and then specify the server instance (`DEV-5\SQLEXPRESS`) and the database name (`emailDatabase`) in your connection dialog.
With this, you're connecting and using a SQL Server database the way it's intended to be used - on the SQL Server instance itself. This is much easier, and much less hassle, than having to struggle with "free-floating" `.mdf` files and attaching them to your solutions and stuff like that....
So here - fill in `DEV-5\SQLEXPRESS` into your "Server name" dropdown, and then use the "Select or enter database name" option and enter your database name (or pick it from the dropdown) - it should be there!
DO NOT use the "Attach a database file" option - this is the free-floating `.mdf` "feature" which is rather clumsy and hard to use and error-prone - again: I recommend not using that...
Problem
I have created a database emailDatabase, its stored in ``` C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA ``` In Visual Studio, I use the `Server Explorer`, click the add new connection button. The add connection dialog box appears. Under server name I use the dropdown box and select `DEV-5\SQLEXPRESS`. I use Windows authentication. In the `Connect to` section at the bottom, the dropdown displays: `Master, Model, msdb` and `tempdb` and does not display my `emailDatabase`. So I select `Attach Database File` and click browse and follow ``` local C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA ``` and select my email database. The following error occurs : emailDatabase You don not have permission to open this file. Contact file owner or an administrator to obtain permission. I think my problem is i saved my database wrong, I need to make a back up or something like that. if that's the case please tel me how to make a backup and so on. I really need to move forward from this problem. When I created my database I right-clicked on databases in SQL Server Management Studio and said new database, then I added columns with a query. then file save all. How can I get a copy of my database file with all the permissions I need to use it in visual Studio??