If you’re running old Visual Basic 6.0 or other non-.NET applications that you want to connect to SQL Server Express and you’re having problems, take a look at "FAQ: How to connect to SQL Express from 'downlevel clients'" on the SQL Server Express Weblog. This FAQ provides step-by-step instructions on checking for an active instance of SQL Server Express as well as instructions on how to enable the connection. You'll find the FAQ at blogs.msdn.com/sqlexpress/archive/2004/07/23/192044.aspx