Hi chris. Since you are a dba, and maybe a database guru, using sql server and management studio 2016 64 bit, now, it is not letting me connect. So googled, and said, to see if it is added to my firewall, it was not, so added the desktop short cut from the desktop, turned off the windows firewall, as my router has a hardware firewall. And now still getting this error message. Any ideas. Marvin. Ps: will paste below. See if I can repair it. Short of having to uinstall, then reinstall, and losing one database, as tied to visual studio. This is stupid. Marvin. =================================== Cannot connect to MARVIN-PC\SQLEXPRESS. =================================== A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (.Net SqlClient Data Provider) ------------------------------ For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft%20SQL%20Server&EvtSrc=MSSQ LServer&EvtID=-1&LinkId=20476 ------------------------------ Error Number: -1 Severity: 20 State: 0 ------------------------------ Program Location: at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentit y identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString userConnectionOptions, SessionData reconnectSessionData, DbConnectionPool pool, String accessToken, Boolean applyTransientFaultHandling) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOpti ons options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions) at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreateNonPooledConnection(DbCon nection owningConnection, DbConnectionPoolGroup poolGroup, DbConnectionOptions userOptions) at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal oldConnection, DbConnectionInternal& connection) at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionInternal.TryOpenConnectionInternal(DbCo nnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions) at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.TryOpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpenInner(TaskCompletionSource`1 retry) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpen(TaskCompletionSource`1 retry) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open() at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlStudio.Explorer.ObjectExplorerService.Vali dateConnection(UIConnectionInfo ci, IServerType server) at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.ConnectionDlg.Connector.ConnectionThreadUs er() ps: running windows 10 64 bit pro. Will try again, but this is stupid, did try googling, and tried a couple of steps, so do I reboot my machine, will it connect.repair