Well, your tips on debugging were good, and I'm sure they will come in handy a lot in the future, but my central question is still a mystery to me. As far as I can tell the code is idential the first time it goes through and the second time. Here's the code again: this.sqlDataAdapter.Fill(dataSet2.tblData); this.dgClaimsExperience.DataSource = this.dataSet2.tblData; this.tabctrlTabControl.Enabled = true; It's crashing on the first line when it goes through the second time. The only other difference is that the CommandText of the sql command gets edited a little bit (so that it's drawing a different set of data from the database the second time around). Any ideas how to work around this? -stormin The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

Now is as good a time as any to admit my stunning ignorance of how to debug. I know you can step through code using F11, but my code is interactive. It has buttons. So when I try to step through with F11 I just get to the point where the main form pops up. Then if I hit a button, I can't get the F11-step through to start working again. So, if you let me know how to step through code I'll be grateful and I'll try that out to see exactly what's going on. But, just to clarify, there's theoretically nothing wrong with calling a dataadpater to fill a datatable in a dataset more than once? Wjousts wrote: theStorminMormon wrote: Additional information: System error. Don't you just love how helpful that additional information is? Yeah - go to love those specific error messages. They're live savers. Thanks for the help. The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

I have a table. When you select a plan from a listbox and click 'select plan', the program nicely goes out to the database, fetches the plan, and sticks it in a datagrid. This is the code: this.sqlSelectCommand1.CommandText += " WHERE PlanID = '" + PlanIDs[this.clstbxPlans.SelectedIndex].ToString() + "'"; this.sqlDataAdapter.Fill(dataSet2); this.dgClaimsExperience.DataSource = this.dataSet2.tblData; So I'm using data adapter, data connection and data set that I generated via the vs2003 GUI. Anyway it works just fine with two problems. If, after loading one plan, the user selects a different plan and clicks "select plan", I want the new plan to get loaded into the data grid and replace the old one. That's what the "WHERE Plan ID..." part of the code does. It uses the list box and an array of PlanIDs to specify which plan data I wanted loaded. But when I actually try to change plans this way I get an error: An unhandled exception of type 'System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException' occurred in system.data.dll Additional information: System error. What gives? My second (more minor) problem is that when the data is loaded into the datagrid, it's too large too fit. This is OK, the data grid has scroll bars. But the problem is that the scroll bars are disabled by default for some reason. I can navigate around easily enough by just plopping my cursor in the data table and manually moving the cursor around the arrow keys - but what do I need to do to get the scroll bars to work like they should? I appreciate the help. This project is killing me. -stormin The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

I don't think it's small. I mean... I see the tab that should expand it, but when I mouse over, nothing happens. Actually, a small percentage of the time i get a grey field to expand to the size the task list SHOULD be, but there's nothing in it. And I'm using 2003, by the way. Oh well... if I restart VS I can get it back, but it disappears after the first use now... The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

Is this a known bug or something? I'm working on my code, I hit "run", it starts to compile, and I get an error. No biggie, I thought I may have one. It asks if I want to continue. I click "no" and I get dumped back to the standard visual studio layout. Only problem, that friendly little task list won't come up. I hit the keyboard short cut, I try from the view menu, I try clicking on the little tab on the bottom of the screen - nothing. It won't show up. Only happens when I work on my laptop, never have this problem on my desktop. Ideas!?!?! The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think removing the DataGridColumnStyle will work, because in the instance of the form where the data grid is located, I'm never going to want to add the column back in. If you get a chance, post a code snippet for me, otherwise I'm sure I can figure it out on my own. I'd just like to state for the record that I think that DataGrid [i]should[/i] contain a columns collection. It would be useful. Thanks for the help - I'm the only "programmer" (I'm really a mathematical-statistical analyst) in my company so there's no one for me to take my sinple, dumb questions to in person. -stormin The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

I just want to hide some columns on my data grid (dynamically). I have my data grid, it's loading the data just fine, and all I want to do is make a column hidden. Here's what I wrote: this.dgClaimsExperience.Columns(1).Visible = false; But C# tells me that System.Windows.Forms.DataGrid does not contain a definition for columns. So... how do I do it? Thanks. The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

OK, I'm just trying to learn how to use panels. I have a panel "pnlWorkArea" and I have a user control "uctrlNewCostTracker". I just want to write a button action that will make the user control show up in the panel (the button and the panel are both on frmMain). This should be easy, right? The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

OK, I don't really understand your response, to tell the truth. I'll go to your site and take a look at the utility, maybe it can help. What I'm really looking for (I think) is just the command I need to feed OSQL to get it to go find my .sql file and add it to the database. I'm not sure if that is equivalent to "hurl[ing] any SQL through a regular SqlCommand object" or not. Thanks for the reply though! The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

I have what I hope is a simple question. I'm trying a product called RapTier from Sharp Power that generates a data access layer. One of the options it has is to produce stored procedures from my database. I've looked through the generated stored procedures, and they seem pretty good. My problem is this, I have the stored procedures as a .sql file, and I have to figure out how to actually attach/add them to the database that I have (I'm using MSDE 2000). Can anyone give me a hand on how to do this? Thanks. The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

OK, I'm trying to reinstall MSDE 2000. Used control panel->add/remove programs to get rid of the last one. But no matter what isntance name I use in the setup ini file (or command line) I get the error "The specified instance name is invalid." Any ideas? The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

I posted a couple of messages on this topic last month. I got a lot of great help and suggestions, but after taking the time to implement all of them I'm still not able to connect to my database over the network. Using the CodeProject tutorial: "Hands on how to configure the Microsoft MSDE" I just did a fresh install of MSDE 2000 enabling networking and using windows authentication. The instance is DomBenBSA running on computer DB-NGIVENS. I accidentally killed my testing database, but I recreated it and attached it to the server: it's BenefitSelectDB. So now I have the server running and I go to my laptop. I'm logged onto the domain (DB) with my standard login (NGIVENS). I'm using RapTier to try and connect to the database (it's just faster than running test C# connection strings). I can detect the server (DB-NGIVENS) - which is more than I could do before - but when I try to get to the database I get this error (when i'm using Windows Auth): [DBNETLIB][ConnectionOpen (Connect()).]SQL Server does not exist or access denied. Here's the interesting thing. I go back over to the host machine where I have the server installed and check out my list of users. I don't see myself anywhere. So I add the user 'DB-NGIVENS'. When I try that, I get this error: Msg 15063, level 16, State 1, Server DB-NGIVENS\DOMBENBSA, Procedure sp_grantdbaccess, Line 116 The login already has an account under a different user name. So now I'm confused. If the login already has an account under a different name - how can I logon from another computer where I'm logged in as myself? Any help would be SO appreciated. (By the way, here are the users that I do find: db_accessadmin db_backupoperator db_datareader db_datawriter db_ddladmin db_denydatareader db_denydatawrier db_owner db_sercurityadmin dbo guest public) The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

Thanks, I'm downloading it now. Hopefully it will help. The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

OK, OSQL.exe works, but I can't log in to ther server. Since it's Integrated Security I would have thought I dont' need username/password, but the command prompt wants me to enter them. Ideas? The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

Thanks so much for your help Susan. I do ahve the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Bin, but I don't have either isqlw.exe or SQL Server Enterprise Manager.MSC. I remember doing something with the MMC Console before, but I'm not sure how to get there now (no problem getting to "Computer Management" - it's faster to just right-click on "My Computer" and select "Manage", by the way). I also don't know what you mean by going locally to where I know it works and then asking for the version. The only way that I've gotten it to work at all is by writing code in my application that opens up a connection and sends the SQL commands at run-time. I tried modifying to send the SQL Command "SELECT @@VERSION" but it's not working (neither executescalar() nor executenonquery() worked). On the bright side, I was able to use the Visual Studio 2003 Server Explorer to find my database - just not sure what to do with it once I find it. So... any other ideas on how to find out the version AND/OR download the query analyzer and enterprise manager? Thanks again for your help so far! The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

When I originally installed and set up MSDE 2000 and my database, I had no clue what I was doing. The directions were unclear (to me) and I considered myself extraordinarily lucky when my program actually connected to the database at all (I still don't understand the connection between the database that I designed in Access, MSDE 2000, the SQL Server, and my C# application). What I'm trying to convey with all of this is that it's purely accidental that I ended up using Windows Authentication, and I would prefer to create SQL users and change the connection string to use SQL authentication if only I knew how. Can you give some pointers on how to do this? The only access I have to MSDE 2000 on my own machine is too click on the little icon in the system tray - which brings up the SQL Service Manager (which doesn't let me do anything useful). I just downloaded DbaMgr2k to try and get better access to the server (to add users, change authentication type) but I'm not sure how this works. Any help you could offer would be great. I have books on C#, ADO.NET, and MS Access, but running MSDE 2000 seems to fall between the cracks and each book only offers tidbits on how to use it. Thanks. The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

OK - so just to be absolutely clear, if I run MSDE 2000 on a "server" (it's actually just my desktop running win xp pro) and I deploy an application to my client (my laptop) that accesses a database on my server via MSDE 2000 - that should work? Right now my application runs fine on the server, but it can't find the database from the client. This is connection string: private string strConn = @"Integrated Security=SSPI; Packet Size=4096 ;Data Source=""EC-BJACOBS""; Initial Catalog=BenefitSelectDBSQL; Provider=""SQLOLEDB""; Workstation ID=""EC-BJACOBS""; Use Encryption for Data=False"; Next question - how do I set the correct permissions? The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

Maybe this is a dumb question. If I have MS SQL Server Desktop Edition, can I access the database from a seperate computer? Or do I need SQL Server for that? 'Cause I sure can't afford to get SQL Server, and my database application is only going to be deployed on 3-5 computers. Thanks for the help. The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

Not only do I not have a "Microsoft SQL Server" folder anywhere in my programs, when I drill through "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server" I can't find the enterprise manager there either. All I can find that is any use at all is sqlmangr.exe which is just the SQL Server Service Manager (it only has drop down boxes for server and service and a play, pause and stop button). Is there any possibility that I don't have MS SQL Enterprise Manager installed? If you can let me know what the .exe file is, I can search for it. Thanks. The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.

You may be a newbie, but you definately know a whole lot more than I do. Thanks so much for your help. I'm going to try out all the things that you've mentioned so far. I can get to the server from my laptop, but it asks me for a login to get on. I have to supply domain name\user name and password before I get access. Also, just so you know, the database one I've assembled from scratch and is located on my personal workstation, so I don't have to talk to an admin. Besides... I work in a small company. Our "network admin" is also our accountant. I'll let you know how it goes! The ends can never justify the means. It is the means that determine the ends.