I tryed the latest available SQL Express Manager (Feb 2005) with also the latest available VS2005 bits (later then Feb 2005). It works! Must be the same .NET Framwork with build number 50215.
http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/express/sql/
Then i tryed to open the Express Manager and i failed several times. Neither Windows nor SQL Authentication works.
I found a tip in the web to change some registry key to allow mixed authentication mode. But was not enough. Then i tryed several types of servernames (use ./SQLExpress)
After then i created accounts with sqlcmd and used it to login.
Still no success. I figured out that the kind of dynamicly mounting (attaching) the MDF Database files must be the problem. As workaround i created a database project and created a database with visual Studio 2005. Then i tryed again the SQL Express Manager and now i can connect. I made a cross check.
Restarting the SQLExpress service detaches the database and the login with SQL Express Manager fails again. I made all of this tests on a second virtual Server machine and had the same results.
Then i tryed to mount the database directly with parameters on starting SQL Express Manager. I must change the directory and name the database on command prompt. Which is to complicated
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Manager>xm -S .\SQLExpress -E
-d d:\hannes
This seems to work. Now the Database is their on every start of SQL Express. I would like to have a option attach from the visual part of SQL Express Manager.
Another intresting fact is, where is my created user? I did not found it again. Lost in SQL Express space.
What can i do with SQL Express. Nearly the same as with Visual Studio 2005. Not enough.
I have still problems to understand how SQL Express do the attach and detach job and how i can influence that.
If you want to manage your SQL Express remotly, you must acitvate with the SQL Computer Manager the protocols like TCP/IP or named pipes. Then, i guess, you adress the Server with servername\SQLExpress in SQL Express Manager.
All that figured out by try and error and some weblog entrys. But didnt find a sensfull step by step intro.