It seems that CMS installation wizard failed to detect SQL server instance name. Do you have either default SQL server instance or an instance named SQLEXPRESS?

Thanks Sergeii, you were correct. I had a named instance called "SQLSERVER". After installing another instance called "SQLEXPRESS", creating a project worked like a charm.

I have got the same problem. It throws the same error message during creating an EpiServer projet. I'm using Windows8/SQL server 2012, SQL server 2008/VS 2012.

I have installed CMS7 and CMS6R2. I could to create an EPiServer7 project from Deployment Center. But it is not possible to create a default project in VS. I installed sql instances with names SQL2012 and SQL2008 for each version. I thought it could be problem because there are different sql version on the PC, so I stoped SQL server2008, but it does not help. It comes up the error message:

Error - Cannot validate argument on parameter 'SqlServerName'. The argument is null or empty. Supply an argument that is not null or empty and then try the command again.

An unhandled error has occured:

The argument is null or empty. Supply an argument that is not null or empty and

then try the command again.

When executing

At C:\Program Files (x86)\EPiServer\CMS\7.0.586.1\Install\System Scripts\Instal

l Database (SqlServer).ps1:139 char:18

+         -SqlServerName $wizard.Database.DatabaseServerName `

+                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At C:\Program Files (x86)\EPiServer\CMS\7.0.586.1\Install\System Scripts\Install Database (SqlServer).ps1:139 char:18

+         -SqlServerName $wizard.Database.DatabaseServerName `

+                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

System.Management.Automation.ParentContainsErrorRecordException: Cannot validate argument on parameter 'SqlServerName'. The argument is null or empty. Supply an argument that is not null or empty and then try the command again.

Hello Kianoush,

This is a bug (#91407) in the installer. As a workaround you can install either SQL server default instance or an instance named SQLEXPRESS

Hi Sergii,

Thanks, it does work when you have a default instance, but there is another problem with the VS integration: When you add an episerver page template to the project in VS, a diaog must ask if you want to register a new Page Type, so it will be ignored in the actual VS integration. Is it a known bug on the integration?

I have the same error with a slightly different way of reaching it.  VS2008/SQL Server 2008 default instance.  Visual Studio integration runs without error and the project is created.  I modify the project to use IIS vs. IIS Express so that the site can be modified using Deployment Center.  Next launch Deployment Center (run as administrator) and attempt to add Commerce to the site just created.  The DB information can be entered through the module installation wizard screens but, on completing the wizard and installing Commerce, the message appears.  

I have the same issue as Jeff Dockman - any solution to this? Any workarounds?