How to Repair MDF File in SQL Server | Quick in 3 Ways

“We are a judicial sector. Recently, while using the SQL Server 2019 database for case management, we suffered a severe MDF file failure, which resulted in the inaccessibility of critical judicial data. We urgently need professional guidance to repair MDF files.

Affected data were nearly a year’s worth of case records, evidence data, trial transcripts, and other important judicial information, which is critical to case processing.

The MDF file recovery must ensure data integrity, and not disrupt the chain of evidence. The whole recovery operation and results must comply with the information technology management norms of the judicial sector.”

MDF database file is the mirror file of the SQL Server database, which contains the actual data of database tables, views, stored procedures and other objects. It uses binary format to store data, which is efficient and stable and can ensure data integrity and security.

If we come across lost or corrupted MDF files containing all the data and structures in the database, we need to take some steps to repair these files to avoid data loss. Here are the effective ways to repair MDF file in SQL quickly.

Before understanding how to quickly repair MDF file in SQL, we need to first understand the reasons for MDF file corruption or loss and its common error messages. The specific error messages may vary from situation to situation, and then diagnose and repair the MDF file according to the specific situation.

Reasons for Corrupted or Lost MDF File

There are four main reasons for MDF file corruption or loss:

    • Hardware failure: Including hard disk failure or memory errors, which may lead to database file corruption.
    • Software failure: Consisting of a virus attack, SQL Server failure, or operating system error may also lead to database file corruption.
    • Abnormal shutdown: Such as sudden system power failure or abnormal server shutdown may lead to database file corruption.
    • Backup restore failure: While performing a backup restore operation, if the backup file is corrupted or there is an error in the restore process, it may also lead to database file corruption.

    Error Alerts for Corrupted or Lost MDF File

    Some common error messages may be encountered when an MDF file is corrupted or lost. The following are some of the common error messages:

    1. “Suspect”: When SQL Server detects a problem with the database file, it may mark the database as “Suspect”. This means that the database file is corrupt or inaccessible.
    2. “Inaccessible”: When SQL Server is unable to access a database file, it may receive an “Inaccessible” error message. This may be due to file path error, insufficient file permissions, and other reasons.
    3. “File is missing”: When attempting to attach or restore a database, if the required MDF file cannot be found, you may receive a “file is missing” error message.
    4. “Unable to read file”: When SQL Server tries to read the database file, if it encounters an error, it may receive the error message “Unable to read file”. This may be due to file corruption or insufficient file permissions.
    5. “SQL Server cannot use the file in the specified path”: When SQL Server tries to use the database file, if it encounters an error, it may receive this error message. This may be due to a file path error, insufficient file permissions, or file corruption.

    These error alerts can help you identify the problem of corrupt or missing MDF files and take appropriate steps to resolve the issue.

    Fix 1: Using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

    If you have a backup of MDF file, you can restore it using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), which is a built-in tool for SQL.

    Following are the steps to restore MDF file:

      • Step 1. Open SSMS and connect to the SQL Server instance.
      • Step 2. In the Object Explorer, locate and right-click on the database and select “Restore Database”.
      • Step 3. In the “Restore Database” dialog box, select the “From Device” tab.
      • Step 4. In the “Device” drop-down menu, select the .mdf file you backed up.
      • Step 5. Click the “OK” button to start restoring the database.

      Fix 2: Repair MDF File Using Database Recovery Tool

      MTM Database Recovery is software designed to recover corrupted or lost database files. It supports multiple database formats, including MDF files of SQL Server. If you have no backups of MDF files, trying with the software is recommended. Following are the general steps to recover MDF files using MTM Database Recovery for SQL Server:

      Step 1. Download and install MTM Database Recovery for SQL Server software

      Step 2. Open MTM Database Recovery software and select the “Recovery” option on the top bar. Select the MDF files to be recovered and check “Recover deleted data”.

      Step 3. The software will scan the selected MDF files and try to repair the corrupted files. A list of repaired database files will be displayed in the preview on the right side of the software. Files marked with red crosses are deleted data.

      Step 4. Click on the “Export” button. You can choose to export to a specific database or to a csv file.

      Export to CSV

      Before recovering MDF files using MTM Database Recovery for SQL Server software, make sure that you back up all important data and that you have access to the database files to be recovered. In addition, if you encounter problems in trying to repair MDF files, it is recommended to consult MTM for more professional assistance.

      MTM Professional Recovery: Meeting Judicial Compliance Requirements

      MTM Database Recovery software ensures data integrity in the data recovery process and does not destroy the chain of evidence. The recovery operation and results comply with the information technology management specifications of the judicial sector.

      Fix 3: Recover MDF File by Repairing SQL Server Instance

      Here is the third method you could try to repair MDF files, with the help of SQL Server Instance. You can follow the steps given below:

      • Step 1. Open Enterprise Manager and connect to the SQL Server instance.
      • Step 2. Right-click on the instance, select “All Tasks”, and then select “Attach Database”.
      • Step 3. In the Attach Database dialog box, select the MDF file you want to recover.
      • Step 4. Click the “OK” button to complete the recovery operation.

      Alternatively, you can use the following commands to attach the MDF files:

      sp_attach_single_file_db @dbname = ‘database name’, @physname = ‘path/filename.mdf’

      Please note that before using this method to recover the MDF file, make sure that you have stopped the SQL Server service and that you have backed up all the important data before attaching the database. Also, if the MDF file is severely corrupted, you may need to use a specialized data recovery tool to try to recover the data. For instance, MTM Database Recovery for SQL.

      Conclusion

      The above are the proven ways to repair MDF file in SQL quickly. If all the above methods fail, you may need to consider rebuilding a database. Before rebuilding the database, you need to import all the backed-up data into the new database. This may take some time and effort, but it is the last way to protect the data.

      In conclusion, repairing corrupted MDF files can be a challenging task, but with the right steps and tools, it is possible to successfully recover data and continue using them.

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