mssql and php

[omerbutt]

hi i am trying to connect to a mssql database i am getting the following errors
[qoute]

Warning: mssql_connect() [function.mssql-connect]: Unable to connect to server: EAST-BB98AF31A6\SQLE XPRESS in C:\xampp\htdocs \ews\projects\w hatever-tiff\sql-connect.php on line 5

Notice: Connection failed: in C:\xampp\htdocs \ews\projects\w hatever-tiff\sql-connect.php on line 7
[/quote]

here is my code
[code=php]
<?php
ini_set('displa y_errors', 1); // set to 0 for production version
error_reporting (E_ALL);
$server = 'EAST-BB98AF31A6\SQLE XPRESS';
$link = mssql_connect($ server, 'EWS\omer', 'hondacd-70');
if($link == false) {
user_error("Con nection failed: " . mssql_get_last_ message());
}
?>
[/code]
i have the module loaded i have attached the screen shot for the php info

[omerbutt]

done,
never ever ,ever never never never ever use the built-in extension named mssql in xampp , go to microsoft download and search microsoft sql server drivers for php and extract the files , select the file name php_sqlsrv_ts_v c6.dll where vc6 is th matching version for the visual C you have and ts stands for threadsafe i had php 5.2.2.9 installed with xampp
it worked like a charm , and yes do comment the mssql extension in the php.ini file before using the sqlsrv , do see the api list for the functions support to use instead of the mysql_<??> or mssql_<??>, anyone who has to do this same thing and cant understand do send me a pm
reagards,
omer aslam