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How to Recover a SQL Server Database with Examples?

Database recovery is an essential process in SQL Server, especially when a database becomes inaccessible or damaged due to various reasons. In such cases, you need to perform database recovery to restore the database to its original state. In this post, we’ll cover the basics of recovering a SQL Server database with examples.

Recovering a Database from a Full Backup

To recover a SQL Server database from a full backup, follow these steps:

Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and connect to the instance of SQL Server where the database resides.
Right-click on the “Databases” folder and select “Restore Database.”
In the “General” page of the Restore Database dialog box, select the “Device” option and browse for the backup file.
In the “Options” page, select the appropriate options for your restore, such as the location of data and log files.
Select the “Overwrite the existing database” option.
Click “OK” to begin the restore process.

Alternatively, you can use the following T-SQL command to recover a database from a full backup:

RESTORE DATABASE [DatabaseName]
FROM DISK = ‘C:\Backups\DatabaseName_Full.bak’
WITH REPLACE, RECOVERY;

This command restores the database from the specified backup file and replaces the existing database. The RECOVERY option brings the database online when the restore is complete.

Recovering a Database from a Differential Backup

A differential backup is a type of backup that captures the changes made to a database since the last full backup. To recover a SQL Server database from a differential backup, follow these steps:

Open SSMS and connect to the instance of SQL Server where the database resides.
Right-click on the “Databases” folder and select “Restore Database.”
In the “General” page of the Restore Database dialog box, select the “Device” option and browse for the backup file.
In the “Options” page, select the appropriate options for your restore, such as the location of data and log files.
Select the “Overwrite the existing database” option.
Click “OK” to begin the restore process.

Alternatively, you can use the following T-SQL command to recover a database from a differential backup:

RESTORE DATABASE [DatabaseName]
FROM DISK = ‘C:\Backups\DatabaseName_Diff.bak’
WITH NORECOVERY;

This command restores the database from the specified differential backup file and leaves the database in a “Restoring” state. You can then restore any subsequent log backups to bring the database up to the desired point in time.

Recovering a Database from a Transaction Log Backup

A transaction log backup is a type of backup that captures the changes made to a database since the last log backup or the last full backup. To recover a SQL Server database from a transaction log backup, follow these steps:

Open SSMS and connect to the instance of SQL Server where the database resides.
Right-click on the “Databases” folder and select “Restore Database.”
In the “General” page of the Restore Database dialog box, select the “Device” option and browse for the backup file.
In the “Options” page, select the appropriate options for your restore, such as the location of data and log files.
Select the “Overwrite the existing database” option.
Click “OK” to begin the restore process.

Alternatively, you can use the following T-SQL command to recover a database from a transaction log backup:

RESTORE LOG [DatabaseName]
FROM DISK = ‘C:\Backups\DatabaseName_Log.bak’
WITH NORECOVERY;

FAQs about Recovering a Database from Backups

How do I recover a SQL Server database from a full backup using SQL Server Management Studio? To recover a database from a full backup using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), follow these steps:

Open SSMS and connect to the SQL Server instance.
Right-click on the “Databases” folder and select “Restore Database.”
Select the “Device” option in the “General” page and browse for the full backup file.
Configure restore options and choose the “Overwrite the existing database” option.
Click “OK” to start the restore process.

Can I use T-SQL commands to recover a SQL Server database from a full backup?
Yes, you can use T-SQL commands to recover a database from a full backup. An example command is: RESTORE DATABASE [DatabaseName] FROM DISK = ‘C:\Backups\DatabaseName_Full.bak’ WITH REPLACE, RECOVERY; Replace [DatabaseName] with the name of your database and provide the correct file path for the backup.
How do I recover a database from a differential backup?
To recover a database from a differential backup, you can follow similar steps as recovering from a full backup. In the “General” page of the Restore Database dialog box, select the differential backup file instead of the full backup file. Make sure to choose the “Overwrite the existing database” option.
What is the purpose of a transaction log backup in database recovery?
A transaction log backup captures the changes made to a database since the last log backup or the last full backup. It allows you to restore the database to a specific point in time or recover it to the most recent state by applying the transaction log backups sequentially.
How do I recover a database from a transaction log backup?
To recover a database from a transaction log backup, you can follow similar steps as recovering from a full or differential backup. In the “General” page of the Restore Database dialog box, select the transaction log backup file instead of the full or differential backup file. Choose the appropriate options and the “Overwrite the existing database” option.

Note: It’s important to carefully plan and understand the recovery process, considering the sequence of backups and applying them correctly to ensure data integrity.