title	LocalDBStartTracing Function
description	LocalDBStartTracing enables tracing of API calls for all the SQL Server Express LocalDB instances owned by the current Windows user.
author	markingmyname
ms.author	maghan
ms.reviewer	randolphwest
ms.date	07/14/2025
ms.service	sql
ms.topic	reference
apilocation	sqluserinstance.dll
apiname	LocalDBStartTracing
apitype	DLLExport

LocalDBStartTracing function

[!INCLUDE SQL Server]

Enables tracing of API calls for all the SQL Server Express LocalDB instances owned by the current Windows user.

Header file: msoledbsql.h

Syntax

HRESULT LocalDBStartTracing();

S_OK: The function succeeded.

Error	Description
LOCALDB_ERROR_XEVENT_FAILED	Failed to start XEvent engine within the LocalDB Instance API.
LOCALDB_ERROR_INTERNAL_ERROR	An unexpected error occurred. See the event log for details.

For a code sample that uses LocalDB API, see SQL Server Express LocalDB reference.