Sql-server – SQL Server 2008 Restore

sql serversql-server-2008

I'm trying to restore from a database backup to SQL Server 2008. The backup came from a different server. I'm executing the following query:

RESTORE DATABASE Database_Name
FROM DISK = 'C:\Path\To\Backup.file'
WITH REPLACE
GO

If the database does not exist, I'm getting the following error:

Msg 3118, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
The database "Database_Name" does not exist. RESTORE can only create a database when restoring either a full backup or a file backup of the primary file.
Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally.

The file is a full backup.

If the database does exist, I get the following error:

Msg 3154, Level 16, State 4, Line 1
The backup set holds a backup of a database other than the existing 'Database_Name' database.
Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally.

From what I understand, WITH REPLACE is supposed to be a workaround for this.

I'm stumped.

Best Answer

Try this:

CREATE DATABASE foo;
GO
CREATE DATABASE bar;
GO
BACKUP DATABASE foo TO DISK = 'c:\temp\x.bak';
BACKUP DATABASE bar TO DISK = 'c:\temp\x.bak';
GO
RESTORE HEADERONLY FROM DISK = 'c:\temp\x.bak';

Relevant columns for this scenario:

Position  DatabaseName
--------  ------------
1         foo
2         bar

To restore foo, whether it exists or not:

RESTORE DATABASE foo FROM DISK = 'c:\temp\x.bak'
  WITH FILE = 1, REPLACE;

To restore bar, whether it exists or not:

RESTORE DATABASE bar FROM DISK = 'c:\temp\x.bak'
  WITH FILE = 2, REPLACE;

If you don't specify WITH FILE, you will get a slew of errors, depending on whether the database in Position = 1 already exists.

The lessons here:

  • do not use common and generic names for backup files - name them for the database they represent and keep them separate.
  • use WITH INIT if you expect a backup file to only ever contain one copy of a backup.
  • understand what is in your backup by first running RESTORE HEADERONLY and/or RESTORE FILELISTONLY.

If you show us those two columns from the output of RESTORE HEADERONLY and what database you are actually trying to restore, we can provide you with a specific command that should work.

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