[Fixed] Error 26: Error Locating Server/Instance Specified in SQL Server 2008

This article gives an explanation about how to fix an error 26 a network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server 2008 as well also described the resolution of a network-related or instance-specific error step by step so you can easily fix this error in SQL Server 2008.

Recently, a couple of minutes ago I got the same error while I tried to connect my database server in SQL server management studio. When I checked detailed information about error 26 a network-related or instance-specific error it says the server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1). I checked and verified all the credentials information that required to connect my database server such as database server instance name, username, password and etc, everything is correct but still, I get the same error message from SQL server. 

Finally, I checked SQL server services from SQL Server Configuration Manager and found that the SQL server services are stopped and need to stat that services and when I start that services and tried again to connect with my database server from SQL server management studio I get connected with my database server. So, In this article, I'll show you how to fix this error in a few easy steps.  

1) When SQL network interfaces, error: 26 - error locating server/instance specified occurs?

2) Explain the solution of network-related or instance-specific error 26 step by step.

A network-related or instance-specific error 26 will occurs when required services of SQL server is not running or stopped.

So, Let's start to fix this error and for that, you have to follow some steps that I showed below.

Step 1: First, you have to click on the start menu and search for the SQL Server Configuration Manager and click on the SQL Server Configuration Manager option from the search result.

Step 2: Then you have to select the SQL Server Services from the left menu and you can see the service SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) is not running and it is stopped. 

Step 3: Now, you have to start the service SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) and for that, you have to press mouse right click on SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) service and select Start option to start the service.

Step 4: You can see the state of service is running, Now you should try again to connect SQL server database engine.

Step 5: Done.

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In this article, we learned how to fix an error 26 a network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server 2008.