-- Bring back online normally ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET ONLINE; REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS may truncate pages, drop indexes, or remove entire rows. Always export critical data before this step using SELECT INTO or BCP . Case C: Disk Space Issue -- Find log file size and growth settings SELECT name, size/128.0 AS SizeMB, growth, is_percent_growth FROM sys.database_files WHERE type_desc = 'LOG'; -- Shrink log if possible (after freeing disk space) DBCC SHRINKFILE (YourDatabaseName_log, 1024); -- Target 1 GB
-- Attempt repair (allow data loss) ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE; DBCC CHECKDB (YourDatabaseName, REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS); ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET MULTI_USER; recovery pending sql
-- Method: Restore with REPLACE and MOVE RESTORE DATABASE YourDatabaseName FROM DISK = 'D:\Backups\YourDatabaseName_full.bak' WITH REPLACE, MOVE 'YourDatabaseName_Data' TO 'D:\Data\YourDatabaseName.mdf', MOVE 'YourDatabaseName_Log' TO 'E:\Logs\YourDatabaseName.ldf', RECOVERY; -- Set emergency mode (bypasses recovery) ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET EMERGENCY; -- Run consistency check to identify salvageable data DBCC CHECKDB (YourDatabaseName) WITH ALL_ERRORMSGS, NO_INFOMSGS; Step-by-Step Resolution Procedures Case A: Log File Missing
-- Check database state and reason SELECT name, state_desc, recovery_model_desc, user_access_desc, is_in_standby FROM sys.databases WHERE name = 'YourDatabaseName'; -- View detailed error messages from the error log EXEC xp_readerrorlog 0, 1, N'YourDatabaseName', N'recovery'; restart instance | None | 5.
-- Check file existence and paths (from SQL perspective) SELECT type_desc, name, physical_name, state_desc FROM sys.master_files WHERE database_id = DB_ID(N'YourDatabaseName'); If the log file is missing, sys.master_files will still show its expected path, but the OS will not have the file. 4. Recovery Strategy Matrix | Scenario | Action | Data Loss Risk | |----------|--------|----------------| | Log file missing, but you have a full backup + all subsequent log backups | Restore with RECOVERY | None | | Log file missing, no recent log backups | Attempt emergency mode rebuild | High (only committed data in .mdf remains) | | Disk full | Free space, then restart SQL Server service | None | | Log file corrupted but .mdf intact | Use DBCC CHECKDB with ALLOW_DATA_LOSS | Moderate to High | | Restore left in NORECOVERY | Issue RESTORE DATABASE ... WITH RECOVERY | None | | File permissions | Grant Full Control to SQL service account, restart instance | None | 5. Step-by-Step Resolution Procedures Case A: Log File Missing – Full Backup Available (Minimal Risk) -- 1. Take database offline (force close any lingering handles) ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET OFFLINE; -- 2. Manually delete any orphaned log file from OS (if present but corrupt)
-- 3. Bring database online – SQL will create a new empty log ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET ONLINE;
If step 3 fails with error 5120 or 5145, the database is stuck. Use this forced method: