setting up local test server

problems exporting live sql server dbases

[edzillion]

Hi

I am in the process of setting up a test server on my xp machine. Have installed visual studio 2008 and saved all the web folders locally. I still need to set up the SQL database locally though. I have some questions:

- Does VS2008 have a built-in test sql server? If not, which should I install?

- How do I export and save the live SQL dbase locally? myLittleAdmin is the dbase mgmt tool on the host, which isn't very useful. There is a 'query analyser' so that might let me run the relevant sql script (?)

Ed

[marcel]

Does VS2008 have a built-in test sql server? If not, which should I install?

There should have been an option to also install SQL Server Express along with Visual Studio (I think it's checked by default) But if you do not have it installed you can get it here [microsoft.com]

How do I export and save the live SQL dbase locally? myLittleAdmin is the dbase mgmt tool on the host, which isn't very useful. There is a 'query analyser' so that might let me run the relevant sql script (?)

I'm not familiar with myLittleAdmin, but I have found that most hosts will create a backup of the database for you. You can then restore this to your local database with SQL Server Management Studio (Express)

[edzillion]

I have figured out how to backup from myLittleAdmin - which saves the file as a .bak file.

Then tried importing this using VS2008 'connect to database'. When I add all the details in and hit OK it prompts me to create an .mdf file. If I agree I get another window in which

server: .\SQLEXPRESS

database: master

If I hit OK again I get the error 'log in failed for user: <my dbase username>

edit: I took the database username and password values from the web.config file under <connectionStrings> so they should be correct(?)