Connect to SQL Server 2005 using Managment Studio 2008

This article shows how to get around the security error you receive initially upon connecting to a SQL Server 2005 using Management Studio 2008.

When using SQL Server Management Studio 2008 to connect to a SQL Server running SQL Server 2005, there is a slight compatibility issue to address. The Management Studio 2008 edition is programmed to try to obtain more database information than SQL Server 2005 allows by default. To get around this and to manage your 2005 database using Studio 2008, simply follow these instructions.

Open SQL Server Management Studio 2008, and connect to your database as you normally would.

You should receive the following error:

Click OK to close the error.

Double-Click on the "Databases" folder in the left window.

Click on the "View" menu, and Click on "Object Explorer Details". Or simply hit the F7 key.

Right Click on the "Name" column header, and Click on "Collation" to Unselect it.

Right Click on the "Databases" folder in the Left Window Pane, and Click "Refresh". You should now be able to view your database in the database list.