error establishing a database connection

HELP!! I’ve had this problem for 2 days now!!

I’m an intelligent guy – probably in the top 2% of the population. And I’ve already seen dozens of posts on this subject. But I simply cannot configure and install WordPress. I came to WordPress from Joomla, simply because of the greater choice of plugins and templates. If I can’t get this fixed by the end of today, I’m deleting it and heading back.

So, I’ve created a MySQL database, named it, set up a username and password – all within the correct criteria of capitals, lowercase, alpha/numeric and underscores. I can see and log into the database on the web host.

Now the fun bit. When I use the WordPress install routine to create the wp-config.php, I get the annoying “ERROR ESTABLISHING A DATABASE CONNECTION” message (hereinafter referred to as “the annoying message”). I check the username, password and localhost with the diligence of a proofreader. And yes I can see all the info on the web host too. Am I sure that the database server is running? I’m guessing because I can see it and log into it the answer must be yes – unless someone can advise me otherwise.

After getting the annoying message about 20 times, I decided to rename the config sample php and enter the values myself. It failed. I checked with the same proofreading diligence mentioned before, all to no avail.

After consulting about 20 help sites/forums, I decided to delete everything and start again….which I have repeated about 10 times until I am blue in the face.

To quote Steve McKrosky from Airplane, If anyone has any ideas, any ideas at all, now is the time. I wanna hear them and I wanna hear them now. Thanks