I need some assistance, please.

 I ran a starter kit using SQL express. It ran perfectly.

 I uploaded to my hosting account at Godaddy.com, and it ran fine as well.

 Few days later I uploaded another starter kit, and it would not run.

 Godaddy states to me they do not support sql express.

 I cannot find a hosting company that does. So how the heck am I suppose to publish any work if no one supports SQL express????????????????????????????/

Will someone anyone with relevant knowledge please assist. I need information put in lamens terms.

I am a beginner, and do not understand advanced terminology.

I doubt there are any hosting companies that use SQL Server *Express*, but many do have an SQL Server option. For you, this will work equally good (or better) than using express.

You would just need to attach or have your host attach your Express database to SQL 2005 and then update your connection string.. If you need to switch hosts my will do this for you and have been very helpful with me as I'm a beginner programmer as well.   Check out http://www.re-invent.com if you need another option.

develop9090 -

I could use your support further, I am trying to start an online community for beginning developers geared towards learning and support. Seems like you might have a little more experience that myself, and I would like to network with you.

 www.ptsdonline.com

Thanks for the post develop9090.

I took your advice and found a better hosting company. verio.com has full support including support for sql express.

The really funny thing in all of this, is that I have been working on this for three days straight trying to resolve why the app was not working. The app originally worked.

The site through godaddy.com is stratacat.com, and is now working. The difference between this site and others is that it is written in C# and not VB. This is the only difference between what worked on there server, although they would state other wise.

 Godaddy.com did nothing to help, but argue with me and state to me how the problem is on my end.

www.stratcat.com, I orignally just uploaded site to server before and there was ot a problem. Starting having problems after uploading other starter kits, and  Godaddy states they do not support sqlexpress, and told me this was the problem. They told me I needed to import the database into sql and then point the connection string to the server. There sql administrative tools would not allow me to import the database .mdf file. I have been pulling my hair out for days. Now, the site is up and runnning and the connection string is connected via a sqlexpress string.

Godaddy.com, great sales folks, idiot developers and advisors. Three days straight I have been pulling my hair out.

Ok Sounds good, i'm not familiar with Verio, but there is good reason why Godaddy does not support Express so I would be cautious as SQL Express cannot be used with shared hosting servers..  It causes reliability and security problems and many hosts have had to abandon support for SQL Express from what I've seen here in the forums.

I gues I was of the understanding that i am not actually connecting to the "sql express" when creating an app, but rather the file itself.

 In other words, if I create an app that uses a .mdf file on my local machine, and the local machine only has SQL 2005 Express, the .mdf file is only using SQL Express as a way of being able to read the file.

If I then upload the .mdf file to a web server that uses an edition other then SQL Express, the app will still work, as the .mdf file will locate any SQL server it can utilize.

Its almost like creating a .txt file and sending it in an email. My machine has MS Word, and I could make Word my default text editor that would open the .txt file. If I send it to someone else, and they try and open the .txt file, maybe notepad will open the file. Someone else opens it, and they use Wordpad to open the file. Same true with a .mdf file, so I had thought. If this was not true, why would the application work now, when it did not previously?

Yes, using SQL Express in a shared hosting environment is a big no no (we do not support SQL Express).  Even the Microsoft SQL team even says so:

http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlexpress/archive/2008/02/22/sql-server-express-and-hosting.aspx

We understand that a lot of developers use SQL Express to develop on their local machines, so we created our own Attach .MDF tool which makes it easy for developers to transfer their SQL Express DB to the live SQL 2005 database.  Having this tool is great because our customers can attach their SQL Express DB whenever they want as opposed to having to wait for the host to attach the SQL Express DB for them.  This waiting can be frustrating, especially if the host isn't responsive.