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POWhen deploying a Winfoms app that uses SQL Server user instance, where should I put the MDF,LDF files?
 

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  1. POWhen deploying a Winfoms app that uses SQL Server user instance, where should I put the MDF,LDF files?
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    <p>I have a C# app written using Entity Framework 4.3.1.0 that talks to a SQL Server 2008 user instance on my development machine in Visual Studio 2010. It also works on my laptop in Visual Studio. But on the customers desktop PC, with SQL Server 2008 R2 I can't connect to the database with the application. The error is </p> <blockquote> <p><em>The underlying provider failed on Open</em></p> </blockquote> <p>All three computers are Windows 7 64-bit, but the app is 32 bit.</p> <p>I suspected the connection string in <code>myapp.exe.config</code>, but it is the same as the one I use in Visual Studio.</p> <p>In doing the research I have come up with two possibilities.</p> <ol> <li>Does the same connection string work with SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2?</li> <li>Does the location of the <code>.mdf / .ldf</code> files matter, I initially installed them in the application folder, but there may be a better place, like a predefinded <code>AllUsersAppData</code>. Is the application folder read-only for the server files?</li> </ol> <p>Here is the ConnectionStrings section from app.config. I don't know if both are required.</p> <pre><code> &lt;connectionStrings&gt; &lt;add name="DataClass.Properties.Settings.SWDatabaseEntities" connectionString="Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\SWDatabase.mdf;Integrated Security=True;User Instance=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" /&gt; &lt;add name="SWDatabaseEntities" connectionString="metadata=res://*/SWDatabaseModel.csdl|res://*/SWDatabaseModel.ssdl|res://*/SWDatabaseModel.msl;provider=System.Data.SqlClient;provider connection string=&amp;quot;data source=.\SQLEXPRESS;attachdbfilename=|DataDirectory|\SWDatabase.mdf;integrated security=True;user instance=True;multipleactiveresultsets=True;App=EntityFramework&amp;quot;" providerName="System.Data.EntityClient" /&gt; &lt;/connectionStrings&gt; </code></pre> <p>It started working for some reason after I removed an errant from mcahine.config that an IBM Client had installed. It didn't work right away, but I don't know what else changed. Maybe it was after a reboot.</p>
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    1. PTQuestion
    1. USRich Shealer
    1. USRich Shealer
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    1. COYou should store your data files in SQL Server's data file directory (usually under C:\Program Files\SQL Server\...) and *not* under some user's app data folder.
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      1. POWhen deploying a Winfoms app that uses SQL Server user instance, where should I put the MDF,LDF files?
      1. USAaron Bertrand
    2. COSince this is a `USER INSTANCE` is that still true? What would the folder be called in Setup folder hierarchy?
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      1. POWhen deploying a Winfoms app that uses SQL Server user instance, where should I put the MDF,LDF files?
      1. USRich Shealer
    3. COWhy do you need to use the deprecated `User Instance` feature? Are you using this feature on purpose, and do you understand how it works? Anyway, yes whether you are using the User Instance feature or not, you can place the MDF files in any folder and point the connection string there. But if you're connecting through a live instance that needs to be a folder that the instance can see. Typically this doesn't work by default for a user's profile directory.
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      1. POWhen deploying a Winfoms app that uses SQL Server user instance, where should I put the MDF,LDF files?
      1. USAaron Bertrand
 

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