Our company bought VB.NET "Standard" Edition. Whenever we
try to connect to our SQL Server databases we get an error
message saying tha "this verison only supports connections
to MSDE or Microsoft Access".

Huh?

1. Is this correct? (If so, the Standard version is
worthless to us.)

2. What is the next version "up the scale" that supports
SQL Server?

TIA,

[quoted text, click to view]

One quick Google search later:
http://forums.devbuzz.com/VB%25Net_Standard_or_VS%25Net__Pro%3F/m_31460/tm.htm
"[With VB .NET Standard w]hat you lose is the Visual Tools for Data Acess
(although you can still connect to SQL Server through code, you can't do it
via the Visual Tools) and a few templates like Smart Device applications."

and
http://www.ftponline.com/discuss/forum.aspx?id=30&msg_id=1212
"1. Develop with MSDE, and migrate the database to SQL Server when you're
ready to go into production. MSDE is a "light" version of SQL Server -- the
two are based on identical code -- so upsizing to SQL Server is very simple.

2. Upgrade your copy of VB.NET to VS.NET Professional Edition, or

3. Don't use the visual database tools. You may still write code to access
SQL Server databases in VB.NET Standard, you just cannot use the wizards,
datasource controls, etc. There are numerous examples of how to write
ADO.NET code to access SQL Server available on the Web."

Hope these help - personally I would go with the VS.NET (price permitting!)
option, unless anyone knows if it's possible to obtain the visual tools for
VB .NET Standard.
On the other hand, it's not too hard to write your own DB connectivity code,
it just means there's more likely to be a bug in it ;-)
Rowland.