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Error:
The TCP/IP connection to the host 127.0.0.1 , port 1433 has failed. Error: "Connection refused: connect. Verify the connection properties, check that an instance of SQL Server is running on the host and accepting TCP/IP connections at the port, and that no firewall is blocking TCP connections to the port."
Solution:
Follow the screenshots
Open your SQL server configuration Manager
Select SQL Server Network Configuration and click on Protocols for VIM_SQLXP (which in my case is the server name VIM_SQLEXP)
Make sure the TCP/IP is Enabled as shown below
Now right click the TCP/Ip and select Properties
Select IP Addresses from the top TAB menu. Now make sure the settings are as shown in the below 2 screenshots
Once done restart the SQL server services as shown below and re try to connect the database.