Do you need to be running SQLServer to use a .MDF File?

D

Denaes

Senior Contributor
Joined
Jun 10, 2003
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I know you can target a .MDF file with your connection settings rather than the actual SQL Server attached database.

But if I wanted to use SQL Server to create a database (.MDF) and then attach it to a project, and I gave said project to someone without SQL Server, would my app still be able to access the database file?

If not normally, does it require me to include any .DLL files?

Or do you actually have to have SQL Server running on a PC to use the file?

It's been driving me crazy, but I can't test it as all the PCs I use right now have SQL Server on them :p

Thanks in advance for any info on this :D
 
MDF files require the SQL server database engine to be installed. This means either the full blown SQL Server product or MSDE / SQLExpress needs to be installed.
 
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