Hi Paul, I use MSDE to prototype all of our applications. It has essentially the same functionality as SQL Server Enterprise except that MSDE is designed to choke at 5 concurrent connections. As for GUI tools, I use the Query Manager and Enterprise Manager that are designed for SQL Server - they work identically with MSDE. One place you can find MSDE is buried deep on the MS Office 2000 install CD, and you can find it on the MS if you are good at locating moving targets. Here is some info that may be useful: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinfo/development/2000/MSDE2000.asp ---------- Dave http://davidmitchell.ca