Learn how to install and configure SQL Server Management Studio, download a SQL Server, and connect them on a Windows 11/10/Server computer..

If you are a developer experiencing “Connect to Server” errors using SQL Server Management Studio on your local machine or development box, consult the checklist below to quickly find, and fix ...

If the server is a Windows-based machine, begin the IP address or hostname with the "smb://" prefix. Click on the "Connect" button to initiate a connection.

Figure 2. Successful Azure PowerShell Connection Output. Although this next step might have been set for other reasons, you must have a server firewall rule setup to allow incoming SQL connections ...

Information in this article applies to Microsoft SQL Server 2012. The instructions for earlier versions of SQL Server, including versions 2008 and 2005, are similar.