Most likely you are running the Express edition but I can't tell from the service path as the MSSQL10. portion would be the same for both Express and Standard editions of MS SQL Server 2008. For most purposes there is no difference between editions of SQL Server Management Studio and it will work with any edition. Here's how you can tell for sure:

1. Connect to the SQL server instance with SSMSE.
2. In the Server Object Explorer panel, right click over the server node.
3. Select "Properties" from the context menu.
4. The Edition (Express, Standard, Web, etc.) will be shown along with other information.

Alternatively you can run the following query from SSMSE:

SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('productversion'), SERVERPROPERTY ('productlevel'), SERVERPROPERTY ('edition')

Here's another question for you - before starting the installation of DotNetNuke, did you happen to use SSMSE to attach to the App_Data\Database.mdf file? If so, once you have attached to it outside of DotNetNuke, you cannot use the user instance form of connection string that you posted at the start of this thread.

And, here's one more thing to check - From your Windows Start Button, navigate to All Programs --> Microsoft SQL Server 2008 --> Configuration Tools --> SQL Server Configuration Manager and open the Client Protocols node to see which protocols are Enabled.

Finally, you may want to use SSMSE to set up a blank database for your DotNetNuke installation and create a SQL server login with username and password and use the non-Express database option in the DotNetNuke intall wizard with integrated security un-checked to specify the database name, username, and password. I seldom use the user instance approach and the included Database.mdf file as I need to connect to the database from outside of DotNetNuke when developing modules or migrating a local site to a hosting provider. For detailed information on setting up a blank database in SSMSE, please see section B of my Wiki entry for installing the DotNetNuke source package: http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Resources/W...

Note: DO NOT follow the rest of this Wiki entry as you are not installing the source package!

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Bill, WESNet Designs
Team Lead - DotNetNuke Gallery Module Project (Not Actively Being Developed)
Extensions Forge Projects . . .
Current: UserExport, ContentDeJour, ePrayer, DNN NewsTicker, By Invitation
Coming Soon: FRBO-For Rent By Owner

Based on your first post you indicated that the SQL Express Server instance name is MSSQLSERVER. So, when opening SSMSE, you can type either of the following as the Server Name: .\MSSQLSERVER or <ComputerName>\MSSQLSERVER. Note in the first option that is a dot followed by a backslash then the instance name. For the second option, replace <ComputerName> with the name the computer on which SQL Server is installed. For example, my local computer name is "P5K-Bill" which I can obtain from the windows control panel - System item. If you have only one instance of SQL Server installed on your local system, I believe you can continue to use (local) as you have been doing for Windows Authentication.

Next, in the SSMSE connection dialog, select "SQL Server Authentication" from the Authentication drop-down list (instead of the default "Windows Authentication"

Then, enter the database username and password that you created as both a server login and database login for the new database.

After clicking "Connect" you should be shown the usual SSMSE screen with a listing of the databases available on the server in the left pane. Click on the Databases node and find the database that you created.

Once you have verified that you can connect to the newly created (blank) database using SQL Server Authentication, browse to the url of the site you are installing and select "Typical" when the DotNetNuke Install Wizard appears. When setting up the database connection in the wizard, be sure to select SQL Server 2005/2008 and NOT SQL Server 2005/2008 EXPRESS (even though you are using the Express edition). Uncheck Integrated Security and you will then see fields for entering the database, database username, and database user password.

Hope this works for you!

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Bill, WESNet Designs
Team Lead - DotNetNuke Gallery Module Project (Not Actively Being Developed)
Extensions Forge Projects . . .
Current: UserExport, ContentDeJour, ePrayer, DNN NewsTicker, By Invitation
Coming Soon: FRBO-For Rent By Owner

I can connect using SSMS fine, but for some reason I can't get past this screen during installation. I stopped the SQL service, copied the DNN.mdf to the app_data folder, restarted the service, but can't connect here. Is that the issue? In SSMS the database is located in a SQL system dir with all the other databases, but I need it to be in the DotNetNuke data directory. So, I copied it.

This is very confusing to me and seems like an awful lot of effort to get to work.

This is the connection string in the Web.config file (the password is correct):

<add name="SiteSqlServer" connectionString="Data Source=JAYJOHENGEN-PC\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=DNN;User ID=DNNUser;Password=*******;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|\App_Data\DNN.mdf;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

Configure Database Connection

You can configure the database settings used by DotNetNuke on this page. If you are installing DotNetNuke in a "Hosting Account" your hosting provider should have provided you with the information.

There are two options for SQL Server 2005/2008. SQLServer 2005 and SQL Server 2008 support the use of Database Files. In most situations you should choose the Database option, but if you are using SQL Server 2005/2008 Express then you should use the File option.

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Select Database:

SQL Server 2005/2008 (Express) File SQL Server 2005/2008 Database

Server:		Enter the Name or IP Address of the computer where the Database is located. (if using Oracle enter the Data Source (SID))
Filename:		Enter the name of the Database File (located in the App_Data Directory)
Integrated Security:		Check this if you are using SQL Server's Integrated Security, which means you will be using your Windows account to access SQL Server. If you are using SQL Server Express then you will most likely need to check this option. If you have been given a UserId/Password to access your Database, leave this unchecked, and provide the UserId/Password combination.
User ID:		Enter the UserID for the Database
Password:		Enter the Password for the Database
Run as db Owner:		Check this if you are running the database as Database Owner - if left unchecked you will be running as the User ID specified
Object Qualifier:		Enter an optional "prefix" to use for all your database objects - this helps ensure that there are no object name clashes.

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Connection Error(s):
Index #: 0
Source: .Net SqlClient Data Provider
Class: 14
Number: 15364
Message: