Resolving “No Process is on the Other End of the Pipe” Error in SQL Server

While connecting to SQL Server 2008, you may encounter the error “Named Pipes Provider: No process is on the other end of the pipe.”

A common reason for this error is possibly that named pipes are not enabled on your server or the Named Pipes protocol is listed before TCP as shown below (Observe the Order):

To resolve this error, you can change the order in the Client Protocol Order as shown below:

Go to Start > All programs > SQL Server 2005/2008 > Configuration Tools > SQL Server Configuration Manager. Expand the SQL Native Client Configuration Node > Client Protocols

Now right click on the TCP/IP protocol > choose ‘Order’ and bring TCP/IP up in the client protocol order as shown below:

If the error still does not get resolved, use the same Configuration Management tool to make sure that the named pipes protocol is enabled.

About The Author

Suprotim Agarwal, MCSD, MCAD, MCDBA, MCSE, is the founder of DotNetCurry, DNC Magazine for Developers, SQLServerCurry and DevCurry. He has also authored a couple of books 51 Recipes using jQuery with ASP.NET Controls and a new one recently at The Absolutely Awesome jQuery CookBook.

Suprotim has received the prestigous Microsoft MVP award for nine times in a row now. In a professional capacity, he is the CEO of A2Z Knowledge Visuals Pvt Ltd, a digital group that represents premium web sites and digital publications comprising of Professional web, windows, mobile and cloud developers, technical managers, and architects.

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