Is your SQL server on the same machine where you are developing your application? Can you check if you have connectivity to SQL Server by pinging?

 Please check out your firewall settings..

tlwarnke:

My "Personal.mdf" database is located in the /Family directory

Ok not sure what you mean by this, do you mean the database is in the app_data folder under the virtually directory /Family ?

Also does this Personal database contain the aspnet membership schema? More info at http://aspnet.4guysfromrolla.com/articles/040506-1.aspx

or do you have a aspnetdb.mdf aswell?

Sorry its all questions but need to understand what you are doing before I can help.

Are you able to access the SQL Server remotely?  Is the SQL Server on the same server as the web application?  Is the SQL port (1433) open?  Did you debug on a different machine?

 Firewall appears to be OK.  Using port 1433 as far as I know.  The site I am attempting to build is on my Windows Homeserver machine which I can access through the internet and via remote desktop with no other problems.  I debugged the site on the same machine.  The App_data directory has both Personal.mdf and aspnetdp.mdf files in it but appears it is only using the personal.mdf database as when I look at the data in the databases the aspnetdb.mdf is empty and the personal.mdf database has all the users I added via the website when in debug mode. I have another site that does not use SQL that I can access without issues.  So the problem should be narrowed down to the way my SQL is set up, I hope.  Now that my son is home I'll have him take a peak at the way I have things set up but he is no server/sql expert either.  Just want to say thanks for all the help you all have given me so far.

Hey t.

I just successfully run this starter kit on my win2k3 server. After reading ur post. I think the problem is u haven't install sql server on ur win server. just download the sql server 2005 express install it in ur windows server. then the site will work like a charm.

Looking back at your post regarding your web.config and your database settings, you might consider changing the server name to your actual computer name.

 Thanks everyone for your help but I still can't get it to work.  Going to throw in the towel.