How To Restore Database In SQL Server From BAK File

MS SQL server is one of the majorly used servers in various organizations. But sometimes it becomes difficult to restore data from the SQL Backup Files. Therefore, here are some DIY techniques that you can apply to move all the data from the BAK file to your SQL database account. The BAK Restoration process can be easy for you if you use the SQL Backup Recovery tool.

Why Are You Unable to Restore Data from BAK Files?

However, even being one of the most advanced and used servers, there are situations when it stops working or starts popping up errors on your screen like:

• Database connection errors,
• Database copy issues,
• Abrupt termination,
• Transient errors,
• Virus infection
• Malicious software attack

The best way to resolve these types of issues is by rebooting your MS SQL server. Unfortunately, in some cases, it doesn’t work as said and then the only possibility left to you is to restore your SQL database with the help of a backup or commonly known as a .bak file.

Methods to Restore Information from BAK file to SQL Database

You can check the restoration process of the database from the BAK file below:-

Restoring SQL Database

Before we do the restoration part we have to understand various other things about the SQL server, .bak file and the whole restoration part.

Limitations and Restrictions

• It doesn’t create any statement for the explicit or implicit transaction.
• Doesn’t support the restoration of backup from newer to older SQL versions.
• Before you proceed with backup restoration, understand and have a clear idea about the proceedings.

Suggestions

• Being a vast database, it is always recommended to go for a series of differential backups in place of a complete backup of your SQL server. As it takes a lot of time to create a complete backup.
• You may use sp_spaceused to analyze the size of your database
• There is more thing that you all should know and that is, all successful backups add an entry to your SQL server error logs which after a time creates a pile of log entries. Using Trace Flag 3226 may help you in resolving this issue.
• Before restoring the database make sure you log out all users from your SQL servers 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016

After you have done with all the above-mentioned recommendations, let’s now see how to restore database in SQL Server From BAK File.

Backup using T-SQL

By using T-SQL or Transact- SQL, you can easily back up a complete SQL server and can restore it later.

1. Follow the below BACKUP DATABASE statement using the below specifications to create a full database backup:

• Database name
• Select the location where to write the full backup
• The Syntax for full DB-backup is:
  “RESTORE DATABASE AdventureWorks FROM DISK = ‘C:\AdventureWorks.BAK’
  GO”

Also, try to add different Options to backup with Options

2. Specify one or more ‘With’ options to backup with T-SQL

Similarly, there are different commands for differential backup, backup with description and backup with compression to restore database SQL servers 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Restore Database Using SQL Server Management Studio

When you start creating a backup task with the help of SQL Server Management Studio or also known as SSMS, you will automatically find an option to generate a T-SQL backup by using a script button. You can also select the script destination to complete the process.

• First, properly connect to the proper instance of the MS SQL Server database engine.
• Now, click on ‘Object Explorer’ & select ‘Server Name’ to expand it for a better view of the files
• Click on the ‘Database’ and select the desired user database
  
• Now right click on that given database and hover to ‘Tasks’ and then go to ‘Backup’
  

And this is how you create a backup with SQL Server Management Studio.

Today downtime in any form in the server may create havoc and this list of commands is a hard task to implement even for experienced SQL Administrators.

The complete process to restore the database in the SQL server from the .bak file is a lengthy and cumbersome process. Long downtime is inevitable if you are trying to restore the database from the .bak file but with the help of professional software, you can easily repair and restore your database files in no time.

Conclusion

Maintaining an SQL database is a hard task and keeping it up and running is altogether a different task. However, maintaining both is not at all easy as there are so many reasons for downtime. Sometimes a manual process work and sometimes it doesn’t. So it totally depends on you to go for a manual process or professional software. The manual process is free but complicated and takes time whereas the mentioned software is paid but easy to use and doesn’t take much time to restore Database in SQL Server from BAK File. Hope you liked this article.