How to Restore Master Database in SQL Server Quickly

Rebuilding Master Database in SQL Server: Know Why?

The master db is essential for the SQL Server as it handles all its major functionalities. When it gets corrupted, the following issues are encountered:

• Cannot recover master database SQL Server is unable to run, i.e., facing downtime.
• Inconsistency and data loss, including system-level information like file location, login account, etc.
• Unauthorized account access or configuration and authentication issues.
• Frequent freezing or crashing of the database while performing operations.
• Also, it results in other minimal errors like Page Corruption in SQL Server.
• Sometimes, it even leads to the complete failure of the SQL Server database.

It happens due to disk failure, memory issues, and software interruptions. Moreover, file corruption and disk space issues on the SQL Server are also a cause for it.

Restore Master Database in SQL Server: Know How?

Various solutions are available to restore the master database depending on the severity. The primary methods we discuss here are manual solutions and a professional tool. We begin by delving into the manual way, followed by the expert tool for easy solutions.

How to Repair Master Database in SQL Server Manually?

This section describes three solutions to resolve and restore the master database issue. The best solution is to restore from a backup, but if it doesn’t exist, follow the methods stated below.

Method 1: Repair Using SQL Server Setup Installer

1. Open the SQL Server installer folder and locate setup.exe.
2. Double-click it to run and then go to the Maintenance tab.
3. Then, click Repair and choose your server instance. Press Next.
4. In the end, hit Repair to resolve the damage and restore the master database.

Method 2: Restore Master Database in SQL Server

1. Navigate to the SQL Server Services and choose your service instance.
2. Right-click it and press Stop to prevent it from running.
3. Further, right-click it again and choose Properties.
4. In the open dialog, move to Startup Parameters.
5. There, enter the -m in the parameter box and press Add >> OK.
6. To set an instance with minimal configurations, use the -f parameter. (optional)
7. Alternatively, you can do so with the T-SQL commands as follows:
• Run SQL Server in single-user mode with the command sqlservr.exe -m. (You can also use the -f parameter.)
• Next, run the command
  cd C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\server instance folder name\MSSQL\Binn sqlservr -c -m -s -mSQLCMD

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• Afterward, connect to the server with the command
  SQLCMD -S <instancename> -E -d master.

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• Finally, to restore, run the given command:
  RESTORE DATABASE master FROM DISK = ‘C:\Path\To\bkpfile.bak’ WITH REPLACE;

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8. Now, restart the server instance without any startup parameters and restore other databases.

Method 3: Restore Master Database in SQL Server via Rebuilding

1. If the restoration doesn’t work for you, then the last resort is to rebuild the database.
2. Simply run the command given here to rebuild the database:
setup /QUIET /ACTION=REBUILDDATABASE /INSTANCENAME= [server instance name] /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS=sa /SAPWD= [server password]/SQLCOLLATION= [collation entry]
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With this command, rebuilding the master database in the SQL Server is marked complete.

Shortcomings of the Manual Method

Though the manual method is free and can resolve the master database issue, it has some cons:

• The process is too complex and needs good technical expertise for successful outcomes.
• It has a high risk and can result in even more severe and irrecoverable losses.
• This method needs a lot of manual effort and is time-consuming.

So, it is best to opt for a more convenient and secure way as trusted and verified by the experts.

Automated Tool to Restore Master Database in SQL Server

Where the manual method fails, a professional tool is the best solution. The SysInfo SQL Database Recovery Tool helps restore and recover damaged master databases. It manages the data, recovers with two different modes, and displays the tables within. Additionally, it enables saving the data at a desired location as scripts or a new database. Moreover, the tool is simple and can handle major errors and issues related to SQL databases. Some other noteworthy features of this tool are:

• Supports all MS SQL versions and Windows OS.
• Allows adding bulk MDF/NDF database files.
• Facilitates the recovery of deleted records.

Steps to Fix a Master Database Corrupted in SQL Server

1. Open the SQL Database Repair Tool and click Open to add MDF files.
2. Select Standard/Advanced recovery and check other details. Click OK.
3. Further, preview the table and records and select to restore.
4. Hit Save SQL Data and choose the option to save as, i.e., Database or Scripts.
5. Afterward, specify a path to save and apply filters.
6. At last, click OK for SQL Server repair master database in a new location.

Conclusion

To sum up, the master database is the primary configuration DB in any SQL Server. Its corruption is a big trouble for DBAs and users. So, it is important to restore master database in SQL Server. You can do it with any of the methods briefed in this blog. Yet, using the manual methods is a tough task and needs expertise. Whereas, with the professional tool, users can restore the database with ease.

Frequently Asked Questions

About The Author:

Lovely Baghel

Lovely specializes in technical writing for SysInfoTools Software and has over 2 year of experience writing blogs, and articles about databases & backup, email recovery, email migration & management solutions. Her passion is researching and developing content that helps Office users, professionals, administrators, enterprises, and novices solve multiple problems.