Cannot connect to SQL 2005 database

After changing the setting in Surface Config Tool, you did restart the server, right?

during the installation process which user/ group did you assigned to the windows authenticated users of sql? Are you trying to connect via these user(s)/groups or not? Yu should connect by using those accounts that are defined. Otherwise you can not connect? Make sure that you are using the correct account.

i did restart.

During install I just selected Windows authentication.  My account is a domain admin however.

Can you connect locally?

if you didnt specified your account as a user during install sql do not let you to connect even though your account is a domain admin. SQL server is not avare of the domain account rights unless you specified the domain admin group as the admin user for the sql either dbo or sysadmin... whatever priviladge you gave... You can make a user sysadmin of sql server having very limited rights in the domain.

I am a total noob at SQL.  How do I connect locally and how to do I assign the proper rights for SQL?

Thanks!

you should create login for the server and then create user accounts for the databases. After you create the user account you should grant privilages to the account related to his role... Server login and database user accounts are different objects for the sqlserver. Check them to make sure that you really give the enough permissions.

Connecting locally means to connect from the same machine where SS 2005 is installed.  Get that working first before trying to connect from another machine.

Start Management Studio on the local machine and connect to the named 2005 server.   Then, use the same login from a remote machine.  BTW, you need to have SS 2205 listen on a different TCP/IP port than your other servers.

Tiger,

Where do I create these accounts and assign which permissions?

Sorry meant tigin

SO when I try to open a connection to the server or add a new server registration the DB does not show up, even if I select Browse for Servers there is nothing there...

is your sql server installation default or named instance... the connection changes according to the installation type... you can check if its a named instance or not under the registry "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL". Take instance name from there and use a syntax as "ServerName\InstanceName" to connect to the server. if its a default instance you SQL Server Managment Studio can find out when you brows for it while loging on.
After loging on to the server probably yuo dont  see any databases athaced to your server if you didnt install the sample databases. You  should atach your exixsting databases or create new ones.

Make sure you installed 2005 as a named instance.  Also make sure you use a unique TCP/IP port from the other SQL servers on the same machine.

I got this working by adding user to the SQL groups on the local machine through System Manager > Users & Groups > Groups > (found the SQL groups and added an account)

h1mm that groups may not affect. Are you sure that those groups are defined and granted in sql server. I think you problem is in here... Try to connect to the server on the box the sql server is running. Check the service account under which the  service running and try to connect it buy using that account. After connecting check your users rights...