Just to make sure I understand:

- Your local install is SQLExpress2005. You can see it just fine.
- What you cannot connect to is the database on the server.

Are you connecting through Management Studio Express or the ODBC dialog in Windows?

>Now, the instance is called SQLExpress2005, btu as far as a name for the SQL Server, I cannto see it and thus I cannot either proceed with the setup of ODBC on this PC. Man, this has got to get better than this. I have done this before several times and have not had these problems, but this just isn't working.