Error: Can't attach DB to SQL Server 2012 - sql

I have SQL Server 2012 and I'm trying to attach a db which was previously used with SQL Server 2012, surprisingly I'm getting the following error:
The database 'DatabaseName' cannot be opened because it is version
706. This server supports version 622 and earlier. A downgrade path is not supported.
I don't really understand how this could happen since like I said it was used with same 2012 version. What am I doing wrong? How can I make it work? Please explain in detail how this can be resolved.
Thank you!!

The error sounds like the server you are trying to attach the database to is not SQL Server 2012. This may be the version of Management Studio / Management Studio Express you're using, but I suspect SELECT ##VERSION; will tell you something different. It may just be a connection string mixup if you have multiple instances of SQL Server installed, otherwise you should download and install SQL Server 2012 Express from here.
#source

It sounds like you had the following configuration and source databases:
SQL Server 2008 SP3 (ver 10.0...) - database engine
SQL Server Management Studio 2012 (ver 11.0...) - management tools
a database that was created with SQL Server 2012 (version 706)
As mentioned you could install SSMS for SQL Server 2008 (after you uninstall SSMS for SQL Server 2012). Then you would have to script your database for that version and re-run the script via 'Tasks>Script...', remembering to set the target server version as shown below.
After scripting you can then use the import/export wizard to export and then inport the data into the new (downgraded database), assuming the database had no 2012-only datatypes (such as sequences).
Another consideration is database compatibility level as shown below. You can have a SQL Server 2012 instance which hosts databases with various compatibility levels.

Using SELECT ##VERSION works very well for me. Your Database Engine is connected to a 2008 DB which certainly doesn't allow you to attach. Once I change my Database Engine to connect to 2012 DB, it works for me.
Check your Database Engine connection. You can be working on 2012 Management Studio yet connecting to 2008 DB. This is what happened to me and I have solved it use SELECT ##VERSION.

Related

SQL Server Database Vesion

I have a problem regarding a SQL Server database.
The error message is
Cannot be opened because it is version 852. This server supports version 782 and earlier. A downgrade path is not supported.
I tried everything, updating via Visual Studio 2015, downloading SQL Server 2016, installing SSMS, but nothing changed the server's version.
I need to somehow change the server's version so it will attach the the database successfully.
Please help!
You are attempting to attach SQL Server 2016 database files to SQL Server 2014. This is not supported.
Your only solution is to upgrade SQL Server from 2014 to 2016. Note, this is the database engine, not management studio.
Here is a list of all SQL Server internal database version numbers: http://sqlserverbuilds.blogspot.com/2014/01/sql-server-internal-database-versions.html

how to attach .mdf file to sql server 2008 EXPRESS

I have .mdf files created using SQL SERVER management studio in another computer and wish to attach the same to SQL SERVER 2008 EXPRESS in another computer. How should I do so?
I tried this method :How to: Attach a Database File to SQL Server Express
but then it shows an error that the database cannot be created due to compatibility issues.
Msg 948: The database xyz cannot be opened because it is version 706.
This server supports version 655 and earlier. A downward path is not
supported..
....
This basically means your SQL versions don't match. For example, if you backup a database on SQL 2012, you can't restore it to 2008. In your case Version 706 is a database file from Sql Server 2012 and Version 663 is a database file from Sql Server 2008R2 (with some SP).
You can either install SQL Express 2012 to attach the MDF, or if you can't do that, you would have to script out your schema and data and create the DB from scratch.. Unfortunately there's no way to 'downgrade' and MDF back to an older version of SQL.
The message is very clear:
The database MDF file is version 706. Your server understands version 655 . Which means, despite to your claim to the contrary, that you are connected to a SQL Server 2008.
Install a SQL Server 2012, connect to it, and attach your database.
Please pay attention during the installation process to the instance name you choose and make sure you connect to that instance.
You can also check now what instances you have installed, look at what services you have on your system.
SELECT ##VERSION AS 'SQL Server Version'

SQL server version 655

what update i need to install for version 655 in vs studio 2010 for the sql server.
Can anyone tell me what i need on my computer when creating a database using sql on vs studio 2010? I need to use version 655 cos thats the version being used on Uni Computers
SQL Server 2008 (655) and SQL Server 2008 R2 (661) are not the same thing (though it is a common misconception - a lot of people think they're the same because Microsoft made a terrible, terrible, terrible naming decision, making 2008 R2 sound like a service pack).
You can't attach/restore a 2008 R2 database to a 2008 instance, period. Though there are several workarounds (that also apply for attaching 2012 -> 2008, 2008 -> 2005, 2008 R2 -> 2005, etc). You can either upgrade the engine you're trying to connect to up to 2008 R2, or you can extract the schema / data from the database using generate scripts wizard, import/export data wizard, SSIS, or 3rd party tools like Red Gate SQL Compare (for a full list of alternatives see this blog post).
This comes up extremely often, did you search for "sql server version 661 655"? I came up with a whole bunch of hits using this search term and some slight variations, all on this site and dba.SE:
Failure attaching SQL Server 2008 database to SQL Server 2005
Cannot attach 2008 R2 database to 2008 instance
Database restore error
Create Database in SQL Server 2012, Script and Use in 2008?
Cannot restore backup on SQL Server Express
How to automatically restore a SQL Server 2008 R2 backup file
Database "cannot be opened because it is version 661" when attaching .mdf file
Use database 661 version with SQL Server 2008
SQL Server: Attach incorrect version 661
https://dba.stackexchange.com/questions/21525/restoring-an-sql-server-2012-mdf-to-sql-server-2008
https://dba.stackexchange.com/questions/20588/restore-sql-server-2012-backup-to-a-sql-server-2008-database
If you are developing .NET based apps in visual studio 2010, then they will typically support all versions of Microsoft SQL Server. That does not mean you install SQL server INSIDE of visual studio, just that you can connect to a SQL Server instance running somewhere.
If you are asking "Where can I get a copy of SQL Server that my university is using?", that depends. For development, you can use a SQL Express installation on your local machine that matches the major release of SQL (2005, 2008, 2008R2, 2012), or you can request the university (or someone else) grant you access to an existing SQL instance.

Transfer a database to SQL Server 2008 from SQL Server 2008 Express

Anyone know the generic practices transfer the database to SQL Server 2008 from SQL Server 2008 Express (I'm not sure it is r2), when I try to attach the .mdf file from Express, there is an error message.
the database cannot be opened because it is version 661. This server supports version 655 and earlier. A downgrade path is not
supported.
Well, the message is clear: the file you're trying to attach from Express is from a newer version of SQL Server
So it appears that you indeed have SQL Server 2008 R2 Express, and you cannot attach this to a SQL Server 2008 instance. There's no way, no hack, no workaround, no trick, or no third-party tool to achieve this - it just cannot be done - period.
So you either need to upgrade your main instance to SQL Server 2008 R2, too - or you need to find another way (like scripting out the structure and/or data into .SQL files) to move your changes from one instance to the other - or use a third-party tool like Red-Gate SQL Compare to synchronize the changes between the two instances.

problem in connecting studio management to sql server

I had installed SQL Server 2008, but faced some complications with that. I then installed SQL Server 2005, and now installed SQL Server Management Studio for SQL Server 2005 successfully.
I am not able to connnect to the server name it suggests.
TITLE: Connect to Server
Cannot connect to POONAM-C586A95C\SQLEXPRESS.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
This version of Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express can only be used to connect to SQL Server 2000 and SQL Server 2005 servers. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Express.ConnectionDlg)
It doesn't show any other option of SQL Server name, though I changed the name as I remembered but for no good.
How can this be solved?
It sounds as if you're trying to connect to the 2008 instance with the 2005 SSMS. It's not clear whether you un-installed the 2008 instance.
Suggest installing the SQL Server 2008 SSMS.
Confirm/modify as needed that you're running the SQL Server instance that you require. This will show you which instances are available.
I would also check to make sure that you're connecting to the correct port. I'm come across a similar error before and the solution was to specify the port to connect to, i.e.
compname\instancename,portnum