here is another clue: when I use fully qualified domain name (e.g. servername.domain.com) I can connect without error. When I use the shortname (servername) I get "can no...

Yes- checked AD.

The problem is that it is not falling back to NTLM authentication. or NT LM is not working for some reason.

Not locked, but thanks...

Thanks a ton! that's exactly what I was looking for!

yes- cast gives:

Msg 529, Level 16, State 2, Line 1

Explicit conversion from data type image to xml is not allowed.

I did find a method to output it to a file...

figured out my own question: since the query I was using was slightly different, the optimizer generated a new plan.

OK- so then is there any way to determine why the...

That is my opinion also, but how to explain the difference in query plan from the application as opposed to Managment Studio?

Before I started the second trace I issued DBCC FREEPROCCACHE... and subsequent runs from the application completed quickly.

It's generating the same plan as I got from mgmt studio and completing...

My thought was the same, but I mirrored the connection properties from the app as show in Profiler, and applied those in mgmt studio and didnt get the same result.

Didnt...

no doubt there is room to improve the app code, but I can't go back to them and recommend that route as the fix for this problem since the query...

Why not set these options at the database level using ALTER DATABASE <dbname> set ANSI_NULL_DEFAULT ON, QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON; or using the SSMS(database properties > options)?

found the first few lines, which include the author:

/*******************************************************************************

** Name: 02a. Tables moved to proper filegroups.sql

** Description: Script moves tables...

was looking for a way to automate the process and found this script... not sure of the source, I know I pulled it off the net a while ago... maybe...

This problem ended up coming back after CU 11.... this was the final fix: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=948496

The following query, from Gail, showed all the connections with open transactions... this is the ammo I need to take back to the application vendor and say, "why are there...