I've same problem with you,but got the solution, use DSN connection and use the embed.dll as the "CLIENT" in configuring the ODBC connection.

--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "rickgeorge88" <rickgeorge88@...> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I have tried various ways of connecting (Google) to an embedded firebird database and I just can't seem to get the connection string correct. Such as:
>
> Using conn As New FbConnection("Server=localhost;User=SYSDBA;Password=masterkey;Database=C:\data\MyData.fdb")
> conn.Open()
> End Using
>
> -ANOTHER-STYLE-
>
> Dim connectionString As String = "User=SYSDBA;" & "Password=masterkey;" & "Database=MyData.fdb;" & "DataSource=localhost;" & "Port=3050;" & "Dialect=3;" & "Charset=NONE;" & "Role=;" & "Connection lifetime=15;" & "Pooling=true;" & "MinPoolSize=0;" & "MaxPoolSize=50;" & "Packet Size=8192;" & "ServerType=1"
>
> -ANOTHER-STYLE-
>
> Dim connectionString As String = String.Format("User=SYSDBA;Password=masterkey;Database=MyData.fdb;ServerType=1")
>
> Dim myConnection1 As New FbConnection(connectionString)
> myConnection1.Open()
>
> ----------
>
> I must have tried at least a dozen different ways and all of them have failed. The last two -above- failed with a 'BadImageFormatException'.
>
> What is the correct way to format a connection string? I have tried variations of the stringbuilder, but it too fails,
>
> Is there a 'local' shorter version for the connection string to an embedded database?
>
> For instance SQLCE uses |DataDirectory|\MyDatabase.sdf... where you don't have to give the full path.
>
> Thanks
>