Can’t connect to SQL Server 2008 - looks like Shared Memory issue

I am unable to connect to my local instance of SQL Server 2008 Express using SQL Server Management Studio.

I believe the problem is related to a change I made to the connection protocols. Before the error occurred, I had Shared Memory enabled and Named Pipes and TCP/IP disabled. I then enabled both Named Pipes and TCP/IP, and this is when I started experiencing the problem.

When I try to connect to the server with SSMS (with either my SQL server sysadmin login or with windows authentication), I get the following error message:

A connection was successfully established with the server, but then an error occurred during the login process. (provider: Named Pipes Provider, error: 0 - No process is on the other end of the pipe.) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 233)

Why is it returning a Named Pipes error? Why would it not just use Shared Memory, as this has a higher priority order in the list of connection protocols? It seems like it is not listening on Shared Memory for some reason?

When I set Named Pipes to enabled and try to connect, I get the same error message.

My windows account is does not have administrator priviliges on my computer - perhaps this is making a difference in some way (as some of the discussions in this post about an "SuperSocketNetLib\Lpc" registry key seems to suggest).

I have tried restarting the SQL Server service, by the way, and also tried to get someone to log onto the machine with an admin account to restart the SQL Server service. Still no luck.

Solution 1:

Try Enabling Named Pipes, Disabling TCP/IP and Shared Memory

Solution 2:

In my case I changed the connection mode from windows authentication mode to SQL Sever and Windows Authentication mode.Then it works!