Question: I just installed SQL Server Express on my PC and for some reason it is not showing in my list of available servers to connect on Visual Studio 2010. I added some pictures to explain exactly my problem. I have no idea how to fix this because it is up and running, but not showing up...

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bByTR.png)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/F587u.png)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CL6nU.png)

Answer: 
Had the same problem, after searching google for 2 hours while finding nothing, and the server name still wasn't there after refreshing for 100 times!

([server not working image](http://i.stack.imgur.com/IQIK3.png))

Then, I tried 1 more thing:

Ignoring the fact that my server doesn't apear on the list.

I just wrote the server nae "(local)\SQLEXPRESS" and went to the connection name which now was enabled! (I didn't realized that before!)

if you were fools like me, this might be the answer!

([server working image](http://i.stack.imgur.com/CVMcY.png))
You can follow following steps:

1.Open "services.mvc"

[You can see here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MD15H.png)

2.After that search for the "SQL Server Browser".

[You can see here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iUmzx.png)

3. Rigth click on it the you may see the option of Properties click o it.After that you can see "StartUp Type" which is disable by default to connect select it to "Automatic" or "Manual".

[You can see here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PjS1z.png)

4. After selecting to "Automatic" click on the start button to start the SQL Server Browser.

[You can see here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FKe4D.png)

5.After following above steps you can see that the "SQL Server Browser" is currently running.

[You can see here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IZ2EW.png)