SQL Native Client 9.0 OLE DB Provider connection strings

Connects to

SQL Server 2005

Standard security
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;Uid=myUsername; Pwd=myPassword;
Are you using SQL Server 2005 Express? Don't miss the server name syntax Servername\SQLEXPRESS where you substitute Servername with the name of the computer where the SQL Server 2005 Express installation resides.
When to use SQL Native Client?
Trusted connection
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;
Equivalent key-value pair: "Integrated Security=SSPI" equals "Trusted_Connection=yes"
Connecting to an SQL Server instance

The syntax of specifying the server instance in the value of the server key is the same for all connection strings for SQL Server.
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerName\theInstanceName;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;
Prompt for username and password

This one is a bit tricky. First you need to set the connection object's Prompt property to adPromptAlways. Then use the connection string to connect to the database.
oConn.Properties("Prompt") = adPromptAlways oConn.Open "Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;DataBase=myDataBase;"
Enable MARS
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;MARS Connection=True;
- SQL Server 2005
Encrypt data sent over network
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;Encrypt=yes;
Attach a database file on connect to a local SQL Server Express instance
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=.\SQLExpress;AttachDbFilename=c:\mydbfile.mdf; Database=dbname;Trusted_Connection=Yes;
Why is the Database parameter needed? If the named database have already been attached, SQL Server does not reattach it. It uses the attached database as the default for the connection.
- SQL Server 2005
Attach a database file, located in the data directory, on connect to a local SQL Server Express instance
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=.\SQLExpress; AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|mydbfile.mdf;Database=dbname; Trusted_Connection=Yes;
Why is the Database parameter needed? If the named database have already been attached, SQL Server does not reattach it. It uses the attached database as the default for the connection.
- SQL Server 2005
Database mirroring

If you connect with ADO.NET or the SQL Native Client to a database that is being mirrored, your application can take advantage of the drivers ability to automatically redirect connections when a database mirroring failover occurs. You must specify the initial principal server and database in the connection string and the failover partner server.
Provider=SQLNCLI;Data Source=myServerAddress; Failover Partner=myMirrorServerAddress;Initial Catalog=myDataBase; Integrated Security=True;
There is ofcourse many other ways to write the connection string using database mirroring, this is just one example pointing out the failover functionality. You can combine this with the other connection strings options available.
- SQL Server 2005

↯ Problems connecting?

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SQL Server 2000

Standard security
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;Uid=myUsername; Pwd=myPassword;
Are you using SQL Server 2005 Express? Don't miss the server name syntax Servername\SQLEXPRESS where you substitute Servername with the name of the computer where the SQL Server 2005 Express installation resides.
When to use SQL Native Client?
Trusted connection
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;
Equivalent key-value pair: "Integrated Security=SSPI" equals "Trusted_Connection=yes"
Connecting to an SQL Server instance

The syntax of specifying the server instance in the value of the server key is the same for all connection strings for SQL Server.
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerName\theInstanceName;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;
Prompt for username and password

This one is a bit tricky. First you need to set the connection object's Prompt property to adPromptAlways. Then use the connection string to connect to the database.
oConn.Properties("Prompt") = adPromptAlways oConn.Open "Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;DataBase=myDataBase;"
Encrypt data sent over network
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;Encrypt=yes;

SQL Server 7.0

Standard security
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;Uid=myUsername; Pwd=myPassword;
Are you using SQL Server 2005 Express? Don't miss the server name syntax Servername\SQLEXPRESS where you substitute Servername with the name of the computer where the SQL Server 2005 Express installation resides.
When to use SQL Native Client?
Trusted connection
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;
Equivalent key-value pair: "Integrated Security=SSPI" equals "Trusted_Connection=yes"
Connecting to an SQL Server instance

The syntax of specifying the server instance in the value of the server key is the same for all connection strings for SQL Server.
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerName\theInstanceName;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;
Prompt for username and password

This one is a bit tricky. First you need to set the connection object's Prompt property to adPromptAlways. Then use the connection string to connect to the database.
oConn.Properties("Prompt") = adPromptAlways oConn.Open "Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;DataBase=myDataBase;"
Encrypt data sent over network
Provider=SQLNCLI;Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase; Trusted_Connection=yes;Encrypt=yes;

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