I'm new to SQL server programming and trying to open a connection to
MS SQL Server 2005 from VB.NET. I created a new databse called lion;
thus in the browsing file folder window in "MS SQL Server Management
Studio Express" lion appears under "Databases"
and changed the "Databases>security>logins>sa" password to xxx

from vb.net I try to connect but get the following error:

A connection was successfully established with the server, but then
an
error occurred during the login process. (provider: Shared Memory
Provider, error: 0 - No process is on the other end of the pipe.)

I know is basic, but I'm having problems finding the solution to this
in the previous postings. Any help on this matter would be greatly
appreciated

PS. I started a post
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb/browse_threa
d/thread/477bd4f5b2b01407?hl=en#
in vb.net group but was referred to this forum

The error occurs in the line= cn.Open() . The complete code is this:

Namespace lion
   Public Class DB
       'database connect
       Private Function connect() As SqlConnection
           Dim connectionstring As String
           connectionstring = "Initial Catalog=lion;Data Source=DCORE
\SQLEXPRESS;User Id=sa;Password=xxx"
           Dim cn As New SqlConnection(connectionstring)
           Return cn
       End Function

       Public Function login(ByVal un As String, ByVal psw As
String)
As DataSet
           Dim cn As New SqlConnection
           Dim sql As String
           Dim ds As New DataSet
           Dim dtContacts As New DataTable("Customers")
           ds = Nothing
           sql = "SELECT * FROM Customers'"
           'use the connection function created above
           cn = connect()
           cn.Open()
           Dim da As New SqlDataAdapter(sql, cn)
           da.Fill(ds, "Contacts")
           'cn.Close() -- note: connection closed automatically by
da.Fill

           Return ds
       End Function
   End Class
End Namespace