Settings Menu icon Settings Menu

All framework/availability combinations: When checked, upon saving a connection, the ADO.NET Connection Editor saves all applicable combinations of Framework and Availability settings for the connection. When unchecked, only the current Framework and Availability settings are saved.

System: Select this to define connections in the system repository, and to show system data sources on the Data Source Names list.
Important: To add, edit, import, or remove a System connection, you must run the ADO.NET Connection Editor as an administrator.
User: Select this to define connections in the current user repository, and to show user data sources on the Data Source Names list.
Azure: Select this to define Azure SQL Database connections, and to show Azure data sources on the Data Source Names list.

2.0, 3.0, or 3.5: Select this to define connections for applications that use one of these .NET Framework versions, and to show existing connections that use these .NET Framework versions on the Data Source Names list.
Note: Support for .NET Framework versions 3.0 and 3.5, and for the CLR v2 has been deprecated. The option 2 of the ILCLR directive has also been deprecated.
4.0, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, and 4.8: Select this to define connections for applications that use one of these .NET Framework versions, and to show existing connections that use these .NET Framework versions on the Data Source Names list. Default.

32-bit: Select this to define connections for applications built using x86, and to show existing 32-bit connections on the Data Source Names list. Default.
64-bit: Select this to define connections for applications built using x64 or built on a 64-bit operating system using ANYCPU, and to show existing 64-bit connections on the Data Source Names list.

Check this to encrypt your data source connection specifications in the repository. Default is unchecked.

Note: If you have also checked the All framework/availability combinations setting, all saved combinations are encrypted.