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title: Retrieving your SQL LocalDB Instance Name: A How-To Guide
description: A quick tip for finding a SQL Server LocalDB instance name using the command line. Run SQLLocalDb.exe i to list configured databases, or SQLLocalDB.exe i...
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# Retrieving your SQL LocalDB Instance Name: A How-To Guide

**[Code4IT](https://daily.dev/sources/code4it)** · 2 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

A quick tip for finding a SQL Server LocalDB instance name using the command line. Run SQLLocalDb.exe i to list configured databases, or SQLLocalDB.exe i "InstanceName" for details on a specific instance like version, owner, and state. Use Windows Authentication when connecting via SSMS, and wrap instance names containing spaces in quotes.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://www.code4it.dev/blog/ssms-how-to-get-instance-name>

## Questions this post answers

### How do I find the name of my SQL Server LocalDB instance?

Run SQLLocalDb.exe i in the terminal, where i stands for information, to list all configured LocalDB instances and their names. For details on a specific instance, including version, owner, and current state, run SQLLocalDB.exe i "InstanceName" with the real instance name. When connecting through SQL Server Management Studio, use Windows Authentication.

_daily.dev surfaces practical database tips like this for developers debugging local SQL setups._

### How do I create or delete a SQL LocalDB instance from the command line?

Use SQLLocalDB.exe with its various commands to create, delete, start, and stop instances. Running SQLLocalDB.exe -? displays the full list of available commands. Note that spaces are treated as delimiters, so instance names containing spaces must be wrapped in quotes when passed as arguments.

_Developers managing local SQL environments can find quick command-line references on daily.dev._

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---

Tags: [#microsoft-sql-server](https://daily.dev/tags/microsoft-sql-server)

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