Forum Discussion
DevoutSkeptic
Nov 16, 2025Copper Contributor
Exporting a database: "Choose a data source." What???
I'm trying to export a SQL Server database, and things aren't going well. I hope someone can help. First, the problem I've solved. I mention it because it may be a clue to what went wrong next. I s...
carlwalk
Nov 17, 2025Copper Contributor
Could be that the wizard defaulted to the wrong provider. Even if you launch it from SSMS, it won’t automatically pick SQL Server as the source.
On the Choose a Data Source screen, select: Data provider NET Framework Data Provider for SqlServer or SQL Server Native Client if available. Then enter the server name, auth method, and database.
The error you saw (Connection String property has not been initialized) usually happens when the wizard is set to ODBC without a configured DSN, which was the default in your case.
Once you switch the provider to the correct SQL Server option and test the connection, the rest of the export wizard should work normally.