Recover SQL Server Database Without Backups with This Guide

Are your SQL Server database components corrupted or inaccessible, and do you not have a recent backup available? Then don’t worry; in this article, we are going to discuss how to recover SQL Server database without backup. Read this article to learn more about how to recover damaged SQL database. We will begin by simply understanding what SQL Server is and why it becomes inaccessible or damaged. 

Microsoft SQL Server is the most extensively used Relational database Management system. This application stores the database in MDF and NDF files. But like any other files, these files can also get damaged, or SQL database corruption can occur due to sudden power failure, virus or malware infection, abrupt system shutdown, or hardware failure issues.  

However, if the users have a recent backup available, then they can easily get back the files. But the problem will arise when the SQL database users don’t have the backups available. Here, they need to know how to recover deleted SQL database without a backup. 

Now, in order to learn this, we did extensive research & found all of the information that can be of some use for the users. Evidently, in this article, we will discuss the best possible ways to recover SQL Server database without backup by using manual methods and by using the Enterprise-grade level SysTools SQL Database Recovery Tool. Users can also use this application in case they have accidentally deleted their SQL database components and Table records. The user can download the demo version from here. 

Why Recovering a Deleted SQL DB Without Backup is Needed?

There are various situations that require users to know how to recover SQL Server database without backups. Here we will discuss a few of them to understand the reasons more clearly.

• Backup Strategies Are Not Set
• Corruption in the SQL Backup File
• Backup File Being Accidentally Deleted
• Due to a Hardware Crash or Disk Failure
• Ransomware or Other similar attacks in the database

Due to these issues, it becomes crucial for users to learn how to recover deleted database in SQL Server without backup. However, the process might be a little complex and risky for the database administrators. We will now understand the possible challenges encountered by the users during the process and also find the best solutions to recover deleted SQL database in a much safer way. 

Challenges During Recover SQL Server Database Without Backup Process

When the user tries to recover the SQL Database without a backup file, it often creates various challenges for them. We will first understand these challenges and then try the methods that will help the users to proceed with the desired method efficiently. 

• Risk of Data Loss due to the inappropriate choice of method.
• Corruption in MDF or LDF Files makes it hard for the server to read. 
• The rebuilt log files might not have the committed or uncommitted transactions.
• Manual recovery methods might take longer to complete the recovery process.

These are the issues one might encounter while recovering a deleted SQL DB. Let’s now move to the methods that will help the users to efficiently resolve how to recover SQL Server database without backups. 

Manual Methods to Retrieve SQL Database Without Backup 

Recovering lost data is not a serious deal if you have the backup file and know how to recover the data files. Here are a few DBCC CHECKDB commands or orders with the use of which you can use to recover deleted database in SQL Server without backup.

• DBCC CHECKDB (DATABASE_NAME): – Check the whole database to fix it in the command line or query manager.
• REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS: – You can use this command to fix the data with the assistance of the allocation and deallocation of rows. This command evacuates the damaged content, row errors, page errors, and column errors. This may sound simple, yet it is an exceptionally complicated procedure and carries the risk of losing data. This is not the best solution to bring the SQL Server database to a consistent state because this will cause data loss situations. 
• REPAIR_FAST: – This is another command used for fixing the database. It will take less time but only performs minor modifications. 
• DBCC CHECKTABLE (TABLE_NAME): – You can utilize this DBCC CHECKTABLE command in the command line or Query Manager for recovering a deleted SQL DB.

All commands for recover SQL Server database without backup must be performed if you have Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. For this, you first need to open it in your framework and follow the below-mentioned steps. 

1. Search for the Toolbar, go there, and click on the New Query button. 
2. Go to the new query page. 
3. Enter the below-mentioned SQL script:

EXEC sp_resetstatus [DATABASE_NAME];
ALTER DATABASE [DATABASE_NAME] SET EMERGENCY
DBCC CHECKDB ([DATABASE_NAME])
ALTER DATABASE [DATABASE_NAME] SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
DBCC DATABASE ([DATABASE_NAME], REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS)
ALTER DATABASE [DATABASE_NAME] SET MULTI_USER

4. Now, execute the corruption-fixing task last to recover SQL Server database without backup.

You can use this strategy if you have decent knowledge of this method or under the direction of an expert. If this procedure takes a long time to execute, at that point maybe the corruption is high, however, if it is requiring normal time, at that point, it implies that the corruption is severe and it will be a hassle to recover SQL Database after damage.

Another method to resolve this issue and recover the deleted database in SQL Server is by reattaching the database files to the server. Let’s take a look at how this method works.

Recovering a Deleted SQL DB By Attaching SQL MDF and LDF Files

One of the ways to recover SQL Server database is by attaching the database files manually. To recover the database, users can reattach the MDF and LDF files to SQL Server. There are certain situations where the user doesn’t have access to the LDF files, or the log files are missing or corrupted; in such situations, the user can only attach the MDF file and rebuild the log file. 

We will take a look at the steps now, considering both of these situations for a better resolution of how to recover deleted SQL database without backup.

Way 1: Reattach Both MDF and LDF Files to the Database

Use the given T-SQL Command to attach the MDF and LDF files to recover SQL Server database without backup:

CREATE DATABASE [DatabaseName]
ON 
(FILENAME = 'C:\SQLData\DBName.mdf'),
(FILENAME = 'C:\SQLData\DBName_log.ldf')
FOR ATTACH;

With this command, you can efficiently attach the MDF and LDF files to the database. Now, in case the users do not have the Log file or the .ldf file is unavailable due to damage or corruption, users can also attach only the MDF file of the desired database. 

Way 2: Attach Only the MDF File of the Database

In case the LDF file of a database is corrupted or unavailable, users can only attach the MDF file of the database and further rebuild the Log file with the help of the MDF file. 

The T-SQL command for the same is:

CREATE DATABASE [DatabaseName]
ON 
(FILENAME = 'C:\SQLData\DBName.mdf')
FOR ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG;

This command will help you to attach the primary database file to the server and further rebuild the database log file using the MDF file. Rebuilding a new log can possibly result in loss of uncommitted transactions; hence, it is important for the users to consider this aspect before initiating the process of recovering a deleted SQL DB. 

Efficient Method to Recover SQL Server Database Without Backup

Now, to counter the above issues, if the DBCC CHECKDB job fail, users need to take the help of a mechanized strategy. To repair the SQL database without recent backups the user can take the help of an automated utility. This application is also trusted by SQL database administrators. It helps the user to recover the entire database components such as SQL tables, stored procedures, Functions, Views, Triggers, etc.

Also, the user can use this for learning how to recover deleted database in SQL Server without backup. This software is compatible with the latest SQL Server versions 2019 and all its prior versions. Moreover, there are several features that make the entire operation quite smooth for users. This is the best way to recover SQL database without backups, even in case of corruption or accidental deletion.

Let us look at the procedure to recover SQL database without backups.

Step 1. Install and run the Software on your machine.  Click the Open Button to browse MDF files.

Step 2. Select the desired SQL MDF file to be repaired. 

Step 3. Choose Advanced Scan mode and select the SQL Server version to proceed with the recover SQL Server database without backup process. 

Step-4. The tool will scan the database files and provide a scanned status complete pop-up afterwards.

Step 5: Preview the database objects as well as deleted SQL records.

Step 6. Add destination details and then click on the Export button to recover SQL database without backups. 

Conclusion 

In this post, we have discussed how to recover SQL Server database without backup. We understood that manual techniques are risky and complex, while the automated solution is straightforward and furnishes guaranteed results with 100% success. Apart from that, the reason we recommend an advanced utility for learning how to recover deleted data from SQL Server without backup is because of the 

Frequent Question and Answers

Also Read: Restore Database Backup in SQL Server Using Effective Methods