SQL Error Locating Server/Instance Specified

Question

Having a problem moving a site from Win2003 IIS6 w/ SQL2005 Express to a Win2008 IIS7 w/Fill SQL 2005? I keep getting this error

Desc : SQL Network Interfaces: Error Locating Server/Instance Specified [xFFFFFFFF]. 

Can anyone point me in the right direction

Answer 1

If you do not have physical/remote access to log into the machine, the first thing to try is simply the name or address of the machine. It is likely that the full sql server is installed as the default instance, which is the name of the host.

If this does not work and you do have access to the machine you can open any of the configuration tools, or admin tools>computer management>services>sql services

or you can drill into the registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL

Or, you could just ask the administrator. ;-)