Due to threats of data loss, human errors, scam attempts, hardware damage, or natural disasters, it is imperative for IT administrators to ensure the security of data. In order to minimize the risk of data loss, creating a regular backup of the database is such a good practice. These backups are stored in BAK format and can be utilized to restore the database contents if the original data files get deleted or corrupted. Well, opening BAK files and restore SQL database from these files is a simple process and can be done via different techniques. In this article, we will discuss all the possible and simple workarounds to restore database in SQL Server 2014 from .bak file in a step-by-step manner.
Methods To Restore Database in SQL Server 2014 From BAK File
Restoring database is a procedure of replicating backup files from any secondary location such as zip disk, tape etc. If your database gets damaged or corrupted then, you can use backup to get the database back in its original condition. If you want to manually restore your SQL Database then, this can be done via two different techniques.
Method-1 Restore Full Database Backup via SQL Server Management Studio
- First of all, launch SQL Server Management Studio and connect to a proper instance of Microsoft SQL Server Database Engine
- Next, click on Object Explorer next to Databases node and choose Restore Database option from contextual tab
- Select General menu and navigate to the Source section. Click on Device option to get the location and hit add button to locate the backup file. Highlight the database with .bak extension and hit the OK button
- In Options, specify the Restore Options as Overwrite the existing database via checking the options you need
- In the General tab, hit Verify Backup Media button and click OK to check if all the desired database is attached properly or not
- If it is attached correctly then, you will get a pop-up that says “Database ‘Name’ restored successfully”
- Navigate to the object explorer and refresh the master database Go to the Databases and expand the modes to review its objects like views, tables, stored procedures etc. Now, your database is ready to use and you can start working with this.
Method-2 Restore Full Database Backup via Query
One can also restore the SQL database from .bak file using query. In order to do this, open a new query window and execute the following RESTORE statement:
The RESTORE query accepts multiple options same as GUI however, users also can run a simple restore with the minimum of code. After successful restoration, you can use this database for different operations.
Method-3 Restore Full Database Backup via Expert Solution
If none of the above-discussed methods are working or you are finding them complex then, SQL Bak File Repair is one of the most prominent solution. The software allows users to recover the entire data from various SQL backup files along with all components. These include Tables, rules, triggers, stored procedures, view, columns, indexes, keys, etc. It has the capability to recover both MDF and NDF files that are saved within the SQL BAK file. The tool offers two export options to recover the database, one is SQL Server Database and other is SQL Server Compatible Script. Using this, one can recover any size of the database as there is no file size limitation imposed by the software and it supports .bak file of SQL Server 2014, 2012, and all below versions.
The End Note
With the backup of database in SQL Server, one can restore the data in any data loss circumstances. Here, we have demonstrated how to restore database in SQL Server 2014 from .bak file using SQL Server Management Studio and PowerShell. In case, if someone finds manual solutions complicated and time-taking then, a reliable third-party tool is also recommended here.