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Attaching a database

  • November 30, 2006 at 7:13 am

    #115290

    Hi,

    I asked a client to send me a backup of their SQL Server database. I received a .DAT file! Now, I'm not sure what I can do with this. I tried Attaching it to my SQL Server, but got the message that this is not a primary database file.

    Is there anything I can do with this file? Or do I need to tell them to do a backup using the SQL Server Management Studio (or whatever is the equivalent for the version of SQL Server they have)?

    Frank

  • November 30, 2006 at 7:42 am

    #674918

    It turns out the .DAT file was actually a backup so restoring it worked. I n=guess older versions of SQL Server created .DAT files instead of .BAK files.

  • November 30, 2006 at 10:27 pm

    #675084

    When you create a backup, you can give it any extension you want .... which is what they did. It's not because it is an older version.

     

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  • December 1, 2006 at 5:13 am

    #675110

    Thanks.

  • December 1, 2006 at 9:50 am

    #675188

    The .DAT file extension is also the default for SQL 6.5 database and backup files. Probably not a good thing to name your SQL 7/2000 backup files with an extension that was used in a previous version of SQL Server?

  • December 1, 2006 at 1:10 pm

    #675261

    As Robert mentioned you can give any extesion to it.

    When you get the backup file from some one else, it is always better to run RESTORE HEADERONLY command to check file is sql backup or not?

    MohammedU
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP

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