---
title: "Start a Trace Automatically after Connecting to a Server (SQL Server Profiler) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/14/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2016"
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ms.technology: 
  - "database-engine"
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ms.topic: "article"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "automatic trace start"
  - "traces [SQL Server], starting"
  - "starting trace automatically"
ms.assetid: d74b848d-e796-49af-a8c5-dd69230f3a78
caps.latest.revision: 21
author: "JennieHubbard"
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---
# Start a Trace Automatically after Connecting to a Server (SQL Server Profiler)
  This topic describes how to start traces automatically after connecting to an instance of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] by using [!INCLUDE[ssSqlProfiler](../../includes/sssqlprofiler-md.md)].  
  
### To start a trace automatically after connecting to a server with SQL Server Profiler  
  
1.  On the **Tools** menu, click **Options**.  
  
2.  Select the **Start tracing immediately after making a connection** check box.  
  
> [!NOTE]  
>  If **Start tracing immediately after making connection**is selected, the **Trace Properties**dialog box fails to appear and the trace begins instead. To edit trace properties, you must first turn this setting off.  
  
## See Also  
 [SQL Server Profiler](../../tools/sql-server-profiler/sql-server-profiler.md)