SQL Server Connection Timeout !

Frustrated ! I was given an error message of "Timeout expired. The timeout period elapsed prior to completion of the operation or the server is not responding." when I was trying to connect to SQL Server 2000 with VS 2005. The connection string was correct and I tried several connection strings :

1. Server=ALVIN;Initial Catalog=pubs;UID=sa;
2. Server=ALVIN;uid=sa; database=pubs";
3. packet size=4096;user id=sa;data source=ALVIN;persist security info=False;database=pubs

(I used sa account for simplication, don't use it in your production site)

But none of them worked for me. I tried it in VS 2003 and unbelievably it worked! (Don't say there is any discrimination) What the heck.. Without any patience left, I saught the answer from Google and I got this link at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ms190181.aspx. It explains several causes of the problem, but one of them seemingly is the cause of my problem, which is :

"Database Engine is not listening on port 1433 because it has been changed, or because it is not the default instance, and the SQL Server Browser service is not running."

I tried to go to Client Network Utility and Server Network Utility to change my port number of TCP/IP to 1433 AND reorder it to be the first before the "Named Pipes".




After restarting the SQL Server, it eventually went fine for me. :)