ssms - How to connect to local instance of SQL Server 2008 Express -

I just installed the SQL Server 2008 Express on my Vista SP1 machine. I previously used it on 2005 and along with the old SQL Server Management Studio Express. I was able to connect with my PC-NAME \ SQLEXPRESS example (no, PC-NAME is not my computer name - -) with no problem.

I uninstalled the 2005 and SQL Server Management Studio Express. I then installed SQL Server 2008 Express on my machine and chose to install it to the SQL Server Management Studio Basic.

Now, when I try to connect to PC-NAME \ SQLEXPRESS (with Windows authentication, like I always did), I get the following message:

< Em> Can not connect to PC-NAME \ SQLEXPRESS. When creating a connection to SQL Server, a network related or instance-specific error has occurred. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the example name is correct and SQL Server is configured to allow remote connection. (Provider: SQL Network Interface, Error: 26 - Server / Instance Specified Error) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1) For help, click:

When I used SQL Server 2008 Installed, I used SQLEXPRESS as the local instance name. As far as I can tell, through SQL Server Configuration Manager, SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections.

When I went to the help link, the help page gives the following suggestions:

• Make sure the SQL Server browser service is started on the server.
• Use SQL Server to enable remote server connections to use SQL Server. For more information about the SQL Server Surface area configuration tool, see the Surface area configuration for services and connections.

  Well, as far as I can tell that my SQL Server Browser is not a service system (seen in MMC for one, can not get one).

  and SQL Server Surface Area Configuration Tool does not exist in SQL Server 2008. So help you with a good job, Microsoft; -).

  What I have to do now is the loss for me. After upgrading me in 2008, I had a lot of work to do till today (the person I am working with got it and got a problem And he told me that it would be easy - that's better than the database stuff I'm doing). Does anyone have any ideas that can be wrong? I really appreciate it. If I can not find this work in a few hours, then I'm going back to SQL Server 2005 (if it also works, gah ...).

  Edit: I closed the Windows firewall, and that did not help; Also, I saw that I do not have a "data" directory under my SQL Server 2008 installation directory tree - do I have to install it Could possibly have done something wrong?

  Please check the server name you provided. This username must match the name shown below in the text box, and that name will be \ SQLEXPRESS :