An attempt to attach an auto-named database for file **** failed

Question

I added new database file in my solution's app_data folder in VS2008.

But when I tried to expand it from Server Explorer, I get this error

An attempt to attach an auto-named database for file .... failed.

Find the screen shot of the error which occurred in vs2008 IDE.

Can anyone tell me what the problem is?

And how to solve it

Answer 1

The error is clear in that dialog box, the file you are trying to attach is on a UNC share (any file path beginning with \\ is a UNC path), which is not supported. You need to move the file to the server you are trying to attach it to and reference it by it's local file name, such as S:\SQLdata\TimeCard.mdf