asp.net mvc Invalid value for key 'attachdbfilename'

Question

I am currently reading Manning\'s \"ASP.NET MVC 4 in Action\" book and trying to get the first example to work.

Within my test application, I built a simple Model a

Answer 1

I guess problem occurs only when using SQL Express on .NET Framework v4.0.30319 anyways SQL Server Express Local Database Runtime support in SqlClient is added in .NET Framework update 4.0.2 read - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2544514

Alternately use connection string similar to this

<add name="EmployeeDbContext" connectionString="Data Source=.;Initial Catalog=Employees;AttachDBFileName=|DataDirectory|\Employees.mdf;Integrated Security=True"
         providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

Answer 2

<add name="myconstr" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|mydata.mdf;Integrated Security=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" /> 

above connection string was giving an error but as soon as added"\" before the name of my database the error got resolved.

Try this:

<add name="myconstr" connectionString="Data Source=(LocalDB)\v11.0;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\mydata.mdf;Integrated Security=True" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" /> 

Answer 3

Though, I am bit late to respond to this question but I was facing the same issue and I resolved it by modifying the connection string like below

 <add name="MovieDBContext"
    connectionString="Data Source=.;Initial Catalog=Movies;AttachDbFilename=|DataDirectory|\Movies.mdf;Integrated Security=True"
    providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />

Hope this would be helpful for others too.

Answer 4

Go to section of Web.config and modify the section to the following to get SQLServerCE4 to be used:

<entityFramework>
<defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.SqlCeConnectionFactory, EntityFramework">
<parameters>
<parameter value="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0"/>
</parameters>
</defaultConnectionFactory>
</entityFramework>

Answer 5

You are using SQL Server Compact 4.0:

Be sure you have installed SQL Server Compact 4.0.

Install VS 2010 SP1 Tools for SQL Server Compact.

Change your connection string to:

  <connectionStrings>
     <add name="MyModelDBContext" connectionString="Data Source=|DataDirectory|mymodel.sdf" providerName="System.Data.SqlServerCe.4.0"/>
  </connectionStrings>

Right click on controllers folder and -> add -> controller

Type:

YourController
MVC-Controller with read/write ...
MyModel
new datacontext -> APP.Models.DatabaseContext

Answer 6

Here is a blog post I found about that error. It is a bit old, but uses the express version of sql server. MSDN Link

That blog post talks about expecting the server name of the sql database to be a local address and not /sqlexpress

There is also this blog post that talks about having an incorrect connection string. So maybe check your connection string to the database. and your problem could be there.