private string GetExpressInstance()
{
string ExpressInstance = "";
try
{
String[] InstanceNames;
ExpressInstance = @"Server=localhost"; //.\SQLEXPRESS
// *******************************************************************************************
// * WORKS IN both x86 x64 mode
// *******************************************************************************************
RegistryKey localMachine = RegistryKey.OpenBaseKey(Microsoft.Win32.RegistryHive.LocalMachine, RegistryView.Registry64);
RegistryKey windowsNTKey = localMachine.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server");
InstanceNames = (String[])windowsNTKey.GetValue("InstalledInstances");
if (InstanceNames.Length == 1)
{
ExpressInstance = @"Server=.\" + InstanceNames[0];
}
else if (InstanceNames.Length > 0)
{
foreach (String InstanceName in InstanceNames)
{
if (InstanceName.Contains("EXPRESS"))
{
ExpressInstance = @"Server=.\" + InstanceName;
}
//Console.Write(element);
}
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
throw new Exception("Unable able to find SQL Server 2008 r2 Express Instance", ex);
}
return(ExpressInstance);
}