How To Restore Database In SQL Server From .bak File

Article Summary: With this article, I am going to tell you some of the best techniques through which you can easily restore database in SQL server from .bak file or backup file and can troubleshoot any type of SQL server error.

MS SQL server is one of the majorly used servers in various organizations.

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

• database connection errors,
• database copy issues,
• abrupt termination,
• transient errors,
• virus infection
• malicious software attack and many more

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 with you is to restore your SQL database with the help of a backup or commonly known as .bak file.

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

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Limitations & Restrictions

• It doesn’t create any statement for explicit or any 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 backup 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 server 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016

After you have done with all the above-mentioned recommendations, lets now see how to restore SQL database from .bak file?

Backup using T-SQL

By using T-SQL or Transact- SQL, you can easily backup 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 server 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Backup 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 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 MS SQL Server database engine.
• Now, click on ‘Object Explorer’ & select the ‘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 a havoc and these list of commands is a hard task to implement even for experienced SQL Administrators.

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

So now the question is

Which is the best software for SQL Data Recovery?

If you take my suggestion, I would refer you to go for SysInfoTools SQL Backup Recovery.

It is a very useful tool as it can easily repair and restore all your files from MDF and NDF databases.

Advantages

• Can easily recover data from MDF, NDF and LDF database of SQL server
• Support recovery from split backup (.bak) files
• Support recovery from compressed backup (.bak) files
• Auto display of file information
• Save files in your system
• Easy to use recovery algorithm
• Support all formats of SQL database versions
• Runs smoothly on all versions of MS Windows OS.

Conclusion

Maintaining 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 a downtime.
Sometimes a manual process work and sometimes it doesn’t.
So it totally depends on you to go for a manual process or a professional software.
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 SQL database from .bak file.

Hope you liked this article.