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Steps To Restore a SQL Backup

When moving a database to a new machine or if you’ve received a database from us that is already in production, these steps can help you get going.

  1. If the file comes to you with a .7z extension, you will need a program (like https://www.7-zip.org/download.html) to unpack it.

  2. Extract the .bak file to a temporary folder where you have full permissions and is accessible to the sql server. For example, c:\Temp.

  3. Open SSMS and connect to your new sql server instance

  4. Press the “New Query” button in the toolbar and copy/paste the following command to the query window. Change the DISK= file name as appropriate and press the “Execute” button

RESTORE FILELISTONLY FROM DISK='C:\Temp\am_company.bak'

This will show the “LogicalName” for the data and log files in the first column (and will be used in the next step)

  1. Press the “New Query” button in the toolbar and copy/paste the following command to a new query window. We recommend putting database files in a directory below the root of the sql server machine. For example, c:\db:
RESTORE DATABASE [am_company] FROM DISK='c:\Temp\am_company.bak' WITH  
MOVE 'AceMapper' TO 'c:\db\am_test.mdf',  
MOVE 'AceMapper_log' TO 'c:\db\am_test.ldf'

Note that the syntax is

MOVE 'logicalname_in_backup' TO 'operating_system_filename'

You should now be able to connect to the sql server and access the newly restored database.

Revised: 2016-11-30
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