Summary: Every SQL user would have encountered the error ‘Recovery Pending State in SQL Server Database’ issue at least once. It is one of the more common and frequent problems experienced by users. In this article, we will share some reliable and effective techniques to bring your SQL server to its online state. We also discuss different SQL database states. We ensure that this write-up provides you with the most reliable solution to your problem.
What are the Different SQL Database Server States?
Apart from the ‘SQL database recovery pending state, there are many other states of the SQL Server Database. You need to have a basic understanding of these states because sometimes the database may move to some other state after you recover it from the SQL recovery pending state.
- ONLINE: In this state, you can easily access and edit all the files available in the database. This is a healthy SQL Server Database state.
- OFFLINE: When the database is in an offline state, it is inaccessible and you cannot make any changes. Generally, users set the database offline manually and you have to bring it back to the online state to make the database accessible.
- EMERGENCY: This state resembles that the database is set to READ ONLY mode. Only users having administrator permissions can access the database. It is a single-user mode of the database and no one can make any changes.
- SUSPECT: The primary database files may get damaged so the database remains in an unavailable state. It could be possible that the database fails to recover during startup.
- RECOVERING: It is a state in which the database tries to restore the information. You can access the information when the recovery completes successfully and it sets the DBMS to the online state. Otherwise, it moves to the suspect mode and remains unavailable.
- RECOVERY PENDING: When the recovery fails due to the absence of some of the database files, the database is set to the SQL Server database in recovery pending state. It denotes that the DBMS tries to recover but is unable to collect data.
These are the most prominent SQL Server database states other than the SQL server recovery pending. Now, let us learn what are the main reasons for the recovery pending state in the SQL server database issue.
Also Read: How to Restore Database Backup in SQL Server 2012 – Step by Step Process
Why SQL Database Goes in Recovery Pending Mode?
Below we discuss some of the most common reasons for the MS SQL server database recovery pending issue. There are many other causes for the issue. However, the problem often occurs because of these reasons.
- Corrupted Transaction Log – The most significant reason for the SQL server pending issue is the corrupted/damaged transaction log. It stores every transaction or modification made in the database. If this file gets corrupted, the database becomes unable to recover.
- Lack of Memory – When the SQL server DBMS does not have sufficient memory to restore, it leads to the recovery pending issue.
- Abrupt Shutdown – When some action is in process and the database shutdown immediately, the transaction log remains incomplete and cannot be recovered during the restart of the SQL server. It is another major cause for the SQL Server Recovery Pending
We have discussed all the major causes of the SQL database issue. Let us check how to fix Recovery Pending State in SQL Server Database.
How To Bring Database Online from Recovery Pending State in SQL Server
You can fix the recovery pending state in the SQL server database using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). The procedure requires you to perform some simple steps. There are two techniques you can use to fix the issue. The first method involves initiating a forceful repair. While, in the other solution, you have to detach and reattach the main database.
But before directly jumping to the steps to fix why SQL database goes into recovery pending mode, let us first learn how to check the state of the SQL server.
Check Database State
Run the following query to identify the current state of the SQL server.
After executing, the above query will display the below output.
Now, you have learned that your SQL server database is in a pending state. So, we share some simple and effective methods to fix the SQL server recovery pending issue.
#1. Conduct Forceful Repair of the SQL Database
To perform the forceful repair of the database, you first need to set the database in emergency mode. In this mode, only the system administrator will have access and no modifications can be made because the database is in READ-ONLY mode.
In this technique, you have to use the DBCC CHECKDB command along with the ‘REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS.’
After the recovery pending in SQL server 2012 issue has been resolved, it will automatically return to the normal state.
#2. Disconnect the Database and Re-Connect It
If the above technique fails to resolve the recovery pending state in the SQL Server database issue, you can opt for this alternative solution. Here, we disconnect the database and reconnect the database. It will rebuild the incomplete or corrupted log files. Moreover, this method is effective in many database issues related to corrupted log files.
These two methods are helpful in resolving the MS SQL database recovery pending issue. Despite being effective, these methods fail when the database file gets severely corrupted. Also, they do not ensure complete data recovery in case of database file corruption. So, we suggest a more advanced and reliable approach to fix corrupted SQL database files.
Professional Solution Fix SQL Server Recovery Pending Issue
DRS SQL Database Recovery Software is the most authentic solution to repair the corrupted SQL database files: MDF and LDF. If the recovery pending state in the SQL server database occurs due to the corruption of files, this utility will repair the damaged files and restore the maximum possible data. It provides all advanced functionalities along with a simple user interface. Moreover, you can use the application with any Windows OS version.
Final Words
I hope you have found the best solution to fix Recovery Pending State in SQL Server Database issue. The manual solution we discussed is efficient and reliable. However, it is not recommended when the database file gets corrupted severely. In such a scenario, we suggest you adopt the advanced SQL Database Recovery tool that will take only a few minutes to restore your entire database.
