How do you close all connections to a local database in SQL Server Management Studio?

Question

I am trying to detach a local database, but getting errors because there are existing connections to it.

How do I close existing connections on my local database?

PS. Running on SQL Server 2008 Express

Answer 1

Take it offline first. THe dialog for that allows a force option. Then you can detach it safely.

Answer 2

Disconnect All the Other Users to Your Database

ALTER DATABASE [YourDbName]
 SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE;

Disconnect your SSMS Connections to Database

If you are the only User connected to a database and want to disconnect all the connection made by you in SSMS you can goto any of the Query windows open on SSMS and Right Click and see below:

Answer 3

Manually (and thus, with a bit of effort, programmatically) you can use the KILL command to summarily close open connections to the database.

Identifying which conenctions to close, now that's the hard part. Start with system procedures SP_WHO and SP_WHO2 to manually identify what connections are using which databases; use and analysis of these procedures may lead to referencing system objects sys.processes, sys.dm_exec_sessions, and a host of others, followed by an eventual understanding of SPIDs and an inevitable respectful loathing of connection pools.

All of these are covered in detail in SQL Books Online. It's the beginning of a pretty extensive maze, and how far you get into it depends on your ultimate goals and objectives.