Many of the Visual Basic samples use the Northwind database running on Microsoft SQL Server Express. This page describes the installation process.
To download and install SQL Server Express
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In Windows, open Internet Explorer.
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Click the following URL: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads (Microsoft Download Center)
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In the Keywords box, type SQL Server Express.
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Click Go.
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On the results page, follow the link to the SQL Server Express download page and follow the instructions.
To install the Northwind and Pubs sample databases for SQL Server
To install the Northwind sample database for Microsoft Access
To determine your connection string
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Open Server Explorer/Database Explorer.
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Expand the Data Connections node and select the connection that you want.
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Connect to a database on your server.
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Right-click the new connection and choose Properties.
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In the Properties window, examine the Connection String property. Use this connection string in the samples. The connection string is found in one of these places, depending on the sample:
Troubleshooting
Security
Always check for product updates when installing additional software.