I finally did get the ODBC connection to work. My biggest problem was with the Data Explorer Task Pane. I had to add an ADO connection instead of a SQL Server or SQL Database connection.

>Hi Mark,
>
>I have been testing MSDE and recently installed SQL Express on the same local machine (Server JUANC), after trying some things, the Connection String from VFP is like this:
>
>

>lc="Driver=sql native client;server=juanc\sqlexpress;uid=sa;pwd=MyPwd"
>? SQLSTRINGCONNECT(lc)
>

>
>Regards,
>
>
>
>>I have downloaded and installed SQL Server 2005 Express beta and the Express Manager onto my laptop. I used the Express Manager to run the scripts that created the Pubs and Northwind databases. All of this is running, and I can query these databases via the XM. I accepted the default instance name of SQLEXPRESS during the installation, but the problem is I can not get VFP9 to connect to this server. Has anyone been able to do so using the Data Explorer Task Pane and/or SQLSTRINGCONNECT? If so, what's the magic key? TIA!