java sql exception no suitable driver found

I am using a .properties file to contain a SQLServer connection string for an EJB.

        Class.forName("com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver").newInstance();        

        conn = DriverManager.getConnection(url, USER_NAME, USER_PW);        
        getSelectData();
        conn.close();

    } catch (InstantiationException e) {
        // TODO Auto-generated catch block
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
        // TODO Auto-generated catch block
        e.printStackTrace();
    } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
        // TODO Auto-generated catch block
        e.printStackTrace();
    }catch (SQLException sqe){
        sqe.printStackTrace();
    }

It throws this:

The maddening thing is if I hard code the conection string instead of getting it from the properties file it works fine.

[#|2011-03-23T19:24:35.718-0400|SEVERE|oracle-glassfish3.0.1|javax.enterprise.system.std.com.sun.enterprise.v3.services.impl|_ThreadID=35;_ThreadName=p: thread-pool-1; w: 9;|java.sql.SQLException: No suitable driver found for "jdbc:sqlserver://127.0.0.1:1433;Instance=SQLEXPRESS;databaseName=gm4;user=pwd;password=xxxx;";
    at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:602)
    at java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:185)
    at com.pylon.datamain.pylonData.initFetch(pylonData.java:42)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at org.glassfish.ejb.security.application.EJBSecurityManager.runMethod(EJBSecurityManager.java:1056)
    at org.glassfish.ejb.security.application.EJBSecurityManager.invoke(EJBSecurityManager.java:1128)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.BaseContainer.invokeBeanMethod(BaseContainer.java:5292)
    at com.sun.ejb.EjbInvocation.invokeBeanMethod(EjbInvocation.java:615)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.interceptors.AroundInvokeChainImpl.invokeNext(InterceptorManager.java:797)
    at com.sun.ejb.EjbInvocation.proceed(EjbInvocation.java:567)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.interceptors.SystemInterceptorProxy.doAround(SystemInterceptorProxy.java:157)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.interceptors.SystemInterceptorProxy.aroundInvoke(SystemInterceptorProxy.java:139)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.interceptors.AroundInvokeInterceptor.intercept(InterceptorManager.java:858)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.interceptors.AroundInvokeChainImpl.invokeNext(InterceptorManager.java:797)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.interceptors.InterceptorManager.intercept(InterceptorManager.java:367)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.BaseContainer.__intercept(BaseContainer.java:5264)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.BaseContainer.intercept(BaseContainer.java:5252)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.EJBObjectInvocationHandler.invoke(EJBObjectInvocationHandler.java:201)
    at com.sun.ejb.containers.EJBObjectInvocationHandlerDelegate.invoke(EJBObjectInvocationHandlerDelegate.java:75)
    at $Proxy229.initFetch(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.presentation.rmi.ReflectiveTie.dispatchToMethod(ReflectiveTie.java:146)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.presentation.rmi.ReflectiveTie._invoke(ReflectiveTie.java:176)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.protocol.CorbaServerRequestDispatcherImpl.dispatchToServant(CorbaServerRequestDispatcherImpl.java:682)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.protocol.CorbaServerRequestDispatcherImpl.dispatch(CorbaServerRequestDispatcherImpl.java:216)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.protocol.CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.handleRequestRequest(CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.java:1841)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.protocol.CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.handleRequest(CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.java:1695)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.protocol.CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.handleInput(CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.java:1078)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.protocol.giopmsgheaders.RequestMessage_1_2.callback(RequestMessage_1_2.java:221)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.protocol.CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.handleRequest(CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.java:797)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.protocol.CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.dispatch(CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.java:561)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.protocol.CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.doWork(CorbaMessageMediatorImpl.java:2558)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.orbutil.threadpool.ThreadPoolImpl$WorkerThread.performWork(ThreadPoolImpl.java:492开发者_开发问答)
    at com.sun.corba.ee.impl.orbutil.threadpool.ThreadPoolImpl$WorkerThread.run(ThreadPoolImpl.java:528)
|#]

Seems like your driver can't be found on your classpath. A quick way to do this, is to add the driver (the .jar-file) to the javaroot/lib/ext folder on Windows, and the /Library/Java/Extensions folder on Mac.

EDIT: This might not be your problem, as you can make it work by not using the properties file. I'll leave my answer standing anyway, as a general suggestion for debugging "driver not found" - issues, in case others might it useful. Even though its trivial, it should be the first thing to check.

The maddening thing is if I hard code the conection string instead of getting it from the properties file it works fine.

The value in the properties file must be unquoted.

db.url=jdbc:somesql://hostname:port/database

versus

String url="jdbc:somesql://hostname:port/database";

Thanks Frederik,

Actually I think the SQLServer JDBC jar was corrupted? I downloaded a new one and did as you instructed and now it works.

Thanks Again

PS tried to up vote you answer, but it won't let me until I hit a certain level :{