Connect to MSSQL from Management Studio fails

Question

I installed MSSSQL 2019 and trying to connect to the databse instance from the Mangement studio in the local server and it fails

From the error message:

TITLE: Connect to Server

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Cannot connect to WIN-TEBQI2TT96H\MSSQLSERVER.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

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: 25 - Connection string is not valid) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 87)

For help, click: https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/relational-databases/errors-events/mssqlserver-87-database-engine-error

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The parameter is incorrect

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BUTTONS:

OK

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Here are the details

Cannot connect to WIN-TEBQI2TT96H\MSSQLSERVER.

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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: 25 - Connection string is not valid) (Framework Microsoft SqlClient Data Provider)

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For help, click: https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/relational-databases/errors-events/mssqlserver-87-database-engine-error

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Error Number: 87
Severity: 20
State: 0


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Program Location:

   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnection.OnError(SqlException exception, Boolean breakConnection, Action`1 wrapCloseInAction)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.ThrowExceptionAndWarning(TdsParserStateObject stateObj, Boolean callerHasConnectionLock, Boolean asyncClose)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.TdsParser.Connect(ServerInfo serverInfo, SqlInternalConnectionTds connHandler, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, Int64 timerExpire, Boolean encrypt, Boolean trustServerCert, Boolean integratedSecurity, Boolean withFailover, Boolean isFirstTransparentAttempt, SqlAuthenticationMethod authType, String certificate, ServerCertificateValidationCallback serverCallback, ClientCertificateRetrievalCallback clientCallback, Boolean useOriginalAddressInfo, Boolean disableTnir)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.AttemptOneLogin(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean ignoreSniOpenTimeout, TimeoutTimer timeout, Boolean withFailover, Boolean isFirstTransparentAttempt, Boolean disableTnir)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.LoginNoFailover(ServerInfo serverInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, TimeoutTimer timeout)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds.OpenLoginEnlist(TimeoutTimer timeout, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlInternalConnectionTds..ctor(DbConnectionPoolIdentity identity, SqlConnectionString connectionOptions, SqlCredential credential, Object providerInfo, String newPassword, SecureString newSecurePassword, Boolean redirectedUserInstance, SqlConnectionString userConnectionOptions, SessionData reconnectSessionData, ServerCertificateValidationCallback serverCallback, ClientCertificateRetrievalCallback clientCallback, DbConnectionPool pool, String accessToken, SqlClientOriginalNetworkAddressInfo originalNetworkAddressInfo, Boolean applyTransientFaultHandling)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, DbConnectionPoolKey poolKey, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreateNonPooledConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionPoolGroup poolGroup, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.TryGetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions, DbConnectionInternal oldConnection, DbConnectionInternal& connection)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionInternal.TryOpenConnectionInternal(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at Microsoft.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.TryOpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory, TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, DbConnectionOptions userOptions)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpenInner(TaskCompletionSource`1 retry)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.TryOpen(TaskCompletionSource`1 retry, SqlConnectionOverrides overrides)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open(SqlConnectionOverrides overrides)
   at Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.Open()
   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlStudio.Explorer.ObjectExplorerService.ValidateConnection(UIConnectionInfo ci, IServerType server)
   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.ConnectionDlg.Connector.ConnectionThreadUser()

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The parameter is incorrect

Answer 1

Cannot connect to WIN-TEBQI2TT96H\MSSQLSERVER

That's the way to address a named instance (you can have up to 50 named instances per machine).

MSSQLSERVER is shown in Windows Service manager as "pseudo name", but it isn't a names instances, it's the defualt = unnamed instance. Use only the machine name "WIN-TEBQI2TT96H" to connect to.

Answer 2

This is a standard error which means that you did not reach the SQL Server instance you specified. The normal reaction to this error is to troubleshoot the error. You can find a troubleshooter here.

There is one thing that strikes me as funny in the error message, and is that the instance name is given as MSSQLSERVER. This name is reserved for a default instance, so it would be funny to named instance by that name. Try just WIN-TEBQI2TT96H.

I should also add that only downloading SSMS will not take you anywhere, if you don't have an SQL Server instance in your environment, either on the network or on your local machine.