How to find detached SQL Server database? - sql

I detached a SQL Server database named company_content as I thought it was no longer needed but didn't want to delete it just yet.
Turns out I need it. When I tried to attach, I couldn't find company_content in the list. Apparently the database name doesn't match up with the .mdf name.
How can I find it?
Thanks,
Scott

Check the other MDF files where you would otherwise expect the database files to be stored, as it could have been saved under another name. If that doesn't turn up anything, you can try doing a search for any files on your system with an .MDF extension; perhaps it was simply saved somewhere a little out of the way (in which case, this would be a great opportunity to move it somewhere more reasonable).

Related

How to unlock a Database.mdf file so can share with friends?

Does anyone know how to unlock a SQL Server .mdf file so can share with friends?
Because the file that my friend share with me for our group assignment happen to be locked up and that I can't use the data within and only can view it.
Actually I want to share my database with my partner in this group assignment. We use a similar database. However, due to reason of time meet up with our instructor, we both need to have our own holding of a database for presentation at different time.
Also the reason, I want to learn to unlock it is because, we may need to try in on different hardware as well. Is in by Exporting? Like what is shown in this link video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2XmaCFk-kk
Firstly, to be able to use .mdf/.ldf files in common operations like Copy/Paste you need:
1. Under Sql Server Management Studio right click on the DB:
2. Then under Detach window check 'Delete Connexions' and click Ok:
You're free to do whatever you want with your .mdf/.ldf files
You probably shouldn't be sharing the MDF files, but if that's what you want to do you will indeed have to detach the database and transfer MDF and LDF files before attaching it on the other side.
It's not completely clear what you want to accomplish, but I think your best option is to take a backup on your machine, transfer the backup to the other machine and restore it there, that way the database doesn't have to go offline.
See this link for a how-to on the backup/restore method.
See this link for instructions on the detach/attach method
Share SQL connection, not the MDF file. Use SQL Surface to enable network access to your DB and define user logins.

"Logical file 'Movies' is not part of database"

First and foremost, I am very brand new to databases so please keep instructions simple for me. thanks!
Usually when I need to make a manual change I just back up my SQL Server Management Studio 2012 database called Movies, then upload it to my host, then use their restore feature to implement it.
I am still in a testing phase so data does not need to be kept that is acquired online, however I wanted to try keeping the data today so I used the host's backup option which created a DB_76779_test_backup.bak file for me.
I then download this and "attempted" to updated it's information into the SQL database on my machine (Movie) which I believe is where I messed everything up.
From what I remember I right-clicked my database "Movies" and selected "Tasks -> Restore -> Database", I kept everything as is, but for Source I selected Device then chose the DB_76779_test_backup.bak file and and below that selected "Movies" as the Database and hit OK.
This seemed to work fine, so I opened and edited the tables values that needed to be changed. Then as usual, I just backed it up, ftp'ed it to the host, and restored my database.
I got an error however when trying to restore and my support told me the following.
"Logical file 'Movies' is not part of database 'DB_76779_test'. Use
RESTORE FILELISTONLY to list the logical file names."
I'm afraid we only support restores of databases that contain only 1
.mdf file and 1 .ldf file with no extra partitions.
I am assuming that since the only different thing I did this time was restore my database on my computer is that somehow I broke it, or created more than 1 mdf and ldf file (no clue what those even are). All I was trying to do was keep the actual data from online, so I am not even sure if that was correct way to go about this, but regardless I am unable to restore the database on my host now..
I am hoping someone here has instantly realized what idiotic mistake I made, because I only know a basic level of databasing and not much of the "under the hood" mechanics.
Let me know if you need further details.
That SSMS dialog is a little difficult to work with some times. It looks like you want to rename your database to Movies. The problem is when you change the name field it does not update the logical names it is using for the files. IIRC simply switching to the Files "tab" on the left will update it and then you can restore fine. That or do your restore with the "old" name and then name the database after restore.

backup sql database from .bak file from another server

I am working with this error for sometime now.
"Failed with the operaring System Error 21 (The device is not ready.)"
I scourged the internet but could not find the solution. Here are the links that look at
I am using this tutorial for importing the database (.bak) while which was exported from another machine and copied to mine.
On this page the very last paragraph is very helpful but it did not work for me.
I looked for other links and tried their solution, those did not work either.
I changed directory permission and allowed full access to everyone, that did not work. I also copy that .bak files to the other back databases that I have (and which imports fine), that still did not work.
Am I missing something simple, permission etc?
I am using SQL Server 2005 with SQL Server Management Studio.
I assume this was a security feature.
I could not restore the database into a name other than its original name which I was trying to do. But I could restore back on the same system into a different name. What I did is back my current database and restored them in different names that I wanted.
Right click on the original database and click restore. In this case do not change the name of the database or any parameters, it should now work.
I would also be caution to allow everyone in the directy where the backups are copied and give *everyone" object full control of the folder.
Hope it helps.
This error is a warning that you're saving the file(s) into a location that doesn't exist on that particular SQL Server workstation. For instance, if you backup a database on one machine containing an "E:\SQL_Databases" folder, and then transfer the .bak file to a machine containing only one hard drive designated as "C:\". SQL Server "remembers" where the .mdf, .ldf. and .ndf files resided on the first machine and tries to restore them to the same place. So make sure the location to which you are restoring the .mdf, etc. actually exists on the new machine. If everything doesn't match exacty, you receive this error.

how to backup SQL database (tables, mappings, indices, etc.)

I am installing a service pack on our shopping cart. They recommend backing up the SQL database before installing. I know we have backups to tape drives done by our hosting company, but I want one I know the exact time stamp for and can access quickly if I need to reload it because of a goof during the upgrade. (I don't want to have the store down for any longer than needed.)
How do you recommend backing up a SQL database for easy reloading for someone who is used to just writing queries and stored procedures? (I'd like to get everything - mappings & indices, etc - because I wouldn't know what all of them are or how to recreate them.)
I access the database via Remote Desktop and can link my hard drive and DVD drives, if that helps. It's MSSQL 2008.
Thank you so much.
Best wishes,
Andrea
BACKUP DATABASE databasename TO DISK='C:\somefile.bak' WITH COPY_ONLY, INIT, FORMAT, CHECKSUM
Obviosly replace databasename and the target C:\somefile.bak as appropriate. Remember, the file and path is on the server; connecting remotely won't change where backup file is stored--in other words it won't be on your local machine.
You can omit the WITH options if you want. Drop INIT if you don't want the target .bak file overwritten. COPY_ONLY isn't a big deal either way in your case. CHECKSUM is just for validating the data before it gets backed up, and may not matter if you don't have CHECKSUMs turned on for the database--though by default starting in MS SQL 2005 new databases were.
The MS documentation for BACKUP and RESTORE isn't too difficult to understand in its basic forms. You can also use the Management Studio Tasks->Back Up or Tasks->Restore GUI if you have access to it.

SQL Server database recovery

I simply copied my .mdf/.ldf files to another file and suddenly my Microsoft SQL 2008 database dies. I can't open these files on another system either. Can anyone explain what's happened? Any way to recover this application's database now?
Did you stop the service or detach the files first?
You are not supposed to copy files when the server is online.
if you want to copy when the server is online, you can right click on management studio , -> detach->
then copy the files to another instance , and choose attach on new server. remember you need to know the location of the files, before you detach, also you should be knowing, also the logins need to transfer.
Have you tried moving the database files back to where they were? (Specifically, stop SQL server, move files, start SQL Server).
Whenever I do this kind of work, I make copies of the files, and rename the original ones (from, say, MyData.mdf to xMyData.mdf). Makes it easier to back out when my fatfingers take over.