How do I connect to some local DB server in MS SQL Server 2012?

I installed MS SQL Server and now want to create some tables and do some queries ... I need to have some local DB Server running to do that right? When I installed SQL Server there was no option to select a local server to connect to... What Authentication should I choose? a)Windows b)SQL Server - if this one, what credentials should I use?

Here is a picture how it looks when I open SQL Server Management Studio postimg.org/image/nffyjjx3p/

I tried to connect to ACER-PC server (the name of my laptop) but it says: Cannot connect to ACER-PC.

...or is it possible to create a database and do some queries on it without some DB Server running? I doubt it is possible...

JAN ORTS

Posted 2014-06-22T20:50:53.893

Reputation: 85

Answers

You installed SQL Server. This is the local DB server that you need running.

With regard to the authentication, if you are connecting to a server on your local machine then you use Windows authentication which takes your windows user/pass to login to the db. If you are connecting to a server that is not in your network/on your local machine then you use server authentication. For this to work, the (database) server needs to have been setup with a logon and password which you type in.

To access a local server, you should be able to click the 'Server name:' drop-down and pick <Browse for more ...> which should show a (possibly single entry) list of database engines you can connect to.

If this doesn't show any entries, you may need to check the Sql Server post install instructions to get a database engine up and running.

mcalex

Posted 2014-06-22T20:50:53.893

Reputation: 2 315

Where are the Sql Server post install instructions located? – Jon49 – 2016-08-11T20:59:15.290

Instructions appear as part of the install wizard. – mcalex – 2016-08-18T08:48:35.917

To be able to logon to a SQL Server instance, you have to know what you did during the installation.

The SQL Server instance name is specified here. Did you select the default, or you specified a name for it?

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2.What about the authentication type and SQL Server as account login?

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3.When you start SQL Server Management Studio, in the Server name list click Browse for more and in the browse for servers dialog expand Database Engine

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All local SQL Server instances will be listed. All you have to do is enter the correct password.

Milena Petrovic

Posted 2014-06-22T20:50:53.893

Reputation: 671