I was stuck in a situation where I deleted my database files accidentally. Learn how do I restore a SQL database? There are a few methods available to execute this.

How Do I Restore A SQL Database? Complete Introduction

Synopsis: This article will counter the user query “How do I restore a SQL database?” using both manual & automated methods. This article is included with the reasons for this task & the relevant solutions as well. Last but not least, we are also going to suggest to users the ideal solution as well.

SQL database is one of the most refined & widely used relational database management systems. Microsoft itself uses this database for many of its applications like SharePoint. Apart from that several other applications like Snapchat, Instagram, etc use SQL as their primary database.

Therefore, it’s essential that users must understand how they can restore an SQL database with all its objects. Let’s proceed further to know each & every detail.

Critical Reasons to Restore the SQL Database

Now, let’s understand the reasons why users need to execute such a restoration task for the databases. Although there is not any fixed reason & it can vary from person to person. However, we can get an idea from the most common ones.

Accidental Deletion of Database Files: There are many scenarios in which users are stuck in difficult situations. Accidental deletion of database files is one of them. It causes difficulties for users in order to manage tier data. Thus, they need to recover or restore it.

Creation of An Old Database: There are times when users need to restore their old deleted database to a new one. In that case, also, users must know the right solution. Evidently, they should know how to counter the “How do I restore a SQL database?” query.

Corrupted Files in the SQL Server: Corruption in the SQL Server files is another major issue. Due to several reasons like malware, viruses, etc, SQL database files might get corrupted. For a better workflow, they need to get fixed as soon as possible.

System Failure & Multiple Errors: Apart from the above issues, several technical errors & glitches are there as well. Running a database health check can show all of these issues that cause occur from even logging errors.

How Do I Restore A SQL Database Manually?

Now, there are two methods available for the task; manual & automated. Solutions that require only the manual process using commands or SSMS are called manual ones. Whereas, the process of using automated tools in use explains the automated method.

First, let’s go with the manual solution but, users need to be proficient in the technicalities to get the best results.

As users are more likely to blunder in the commands method, we are proceeding with the SSMS method first. For this, users must have SSMS(SQL Server Management Studio) installed on their system. Also, they should have the BAK file as well.

Step 1. Launch the SSMS in your system for establishing a connection with the server.

Step 2. Right Click on Database in the left panel & Select the Restore Database option.

Step 3. Go to Source >> Select Devices >> Click on three dots (…) to select the backup devices dialog box.

Step 4. Click on the Add button to add your .bak file to the server.

Step 5. Finally, users can cross-check if all their database files are restored or not.

Drawbacks:

There are plenty of drawbacks present in this method that are mentioned below:

Users cant restore deleted objects using this method in SQL Server.
The solution does not provide any modern-day features to users.
Manual solution is full of complexities that can create confusion.
There’s no 100% surety that the manual solution will work.
The GUI of the manual solution is difficult to understand.
It does not repair or fix the corrupted database objects.
Risk of data loss & even high-level corruption in files.

Automated Methods to Restore A SQL Database

Now that users are aware of the manual method & its drawbacks, they must be well aware of the alternative solution as well. For this SysTools SQL Recovery Tool is what users need. This automated tool is packed with unbelievable features that cover pretty much all the demands of users.

Download the software in your system & then begin the database restoring operation step by step:

Step-1. Launch the Automated Tool & Click on the Open button to add the MDF file.

Step-2. Select the Quick or Advanced Scan mode as per the file corruption status.

Step-3. Preview All Objects including the deleted ones highlighted in Red color.

Step-4. Select Destination Location as either a new or an existing database.

Step-5. Click on the Export button to finally restore all the database objects.

Note: Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 or above is necessary & users must launch the application as an administrator.

How I Restored A SQL Database Automatically?

Now, if users are confused about why this automated solution makes the entire task easy, let’s go through its features. This is how we can understand the technicalities in depth.

Recover & restore the SQL tables, stored procedures, rules, views, triggers, etc.
Repairs the corrupted database objects prior to recovering them in the server.
Two scan modes; Quick or Advance for low to high-level corrupted MDF files.
The software offers various filters to make the entire operation selective.
It can recover schema only & schema with data as well without issues.
The software allows exporting data to a live & running SQL Database.
Users can also export data to SQL transcript files or CSV files as well.
The software even repairs & recover malware-affected MDF files also.
SQL 2000, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, & 2022 supported.

Yes, these features are enough to counter “how do I restore a SQL database?” but there’s more left. Apart from these features, there are plenty of other features & benefits that we haven’t mentioned here. Users can have a look at them by going to the official product page of SysTools as stated above.

Also Read: Requirements for a Data Science Course in Hyderabad City?

Conclusion

Now that we have covered almost all the topics we targeted at the beginning of the blog, it’s time to conclude this article. For this, we can say that the ideal solution is the automated one due to the balance nature & best results. It is totally harmless & even new users can easily get their desired results.

Countering the “How do I restore a SQL database?” user query is easy now for almost every user. With the right technique & tools, even the toughest tasks can be completed with elegancy.