How to Recover MS SQL Database from Suspect Mode

Introduction: MS SQL is the most widely used database software used by many professionals. The handling of MS SQL database requires a lot of expertise and skills. Many times you may face a problem when your MS SQL database goes into a Suspect mode in SQL Server 2016, 2014, 2012, and 2008. The SQL Database can have one specific state at a time as it runs in different modes in different time arenas such as Online, Offline, Restoring, Recovering, Recovery Pending state, Suspect, and Emergency mode. The database shows user being in suspect mode because the server suspects primary filegroup of the database to be damaged. This results in no access to the database as well as inability to recover data during server startup.

However, there are many discussion or forum sites filled with many queries related to database suspect query such as how to recover the suspect database in SQL Server 2012, steps to recover SQL database from the suspect mode, etc. Hence, in this article, we are going to explain how to recover MS SQL Database from suspect mode in SQL Server 2016, 2014, 2012 & 2008.

Reasons why MS SQL database goes in suspect mode

When SQL Server starts up, it attempts to obtain an exclusive lock on the server’s device file. If the device file is being used by another process or if it is found missing, the SQL Server starts displaying the errors. Possible reasons behind such errors are:

1. The system fails to access the source where the data or log file resides.
2. SQL server crashed or restarted during a transaction causing corruption in the transaction.
3. Antivirus prohibiting access of data while coming online.
4. Lack of disk space.
5. Improper shutting down of MS SQL server.
6. Database being backed-up by third-party software.
7. Database files got corrupt.
8. When Roll-back or Roll-forward operation cannot be performed.

Steps to recover MS SQL database from Suspect Mode

One can follow below steps to turn SQL Database suspect mode to normal mode.

• Open MS SQL Server Management Studio and access your database.
• Choose the New Query option.
• Turn off the suspect flag on the database and set it on Emergency mode.
• Perform the function Consistency Check on Master Database.
• Bring database into Single User Mode, and then perform rollback operation of previous transactions.
• Take the backup of the entire database.
• Perform Database Repair function allowing some data loss.
• Bring database into Multi-User mode.
• Now refresh the SQL database server and verify if the database has connectivity or not.

To perform above steps, you need to run following SQL script:

Eventually most of the time, server user is able to recover the database following the above steps.

What if the manual method doesn’t work?

The above-mentioned solution seems easy but not always works in case of a severely corrupt database. In that case, you can opt for professional SQL Database Recovery software The software can easily recover MS SQL Database from Suspect Mode. It is highly efficient and user-friendly. It basically saves database into MDF files of SQL Server. Then, you can easily recover your database. This application is highly competent and easy-to-use. This software repairs all kind of MDF file objects containing tables, views, constraints, indexes, functions, triggers, procedures, & data types etc. This tool allows capturing a snapshot of the database recovery which can be saved at various user-defined locations. Thus, it is time-saving as well as reduces efforts.

The Bottom Line

As SQL server is the most widely used database software across the globe, the loopholes and drawbacks come along. We came to know about the various reasons for SQL server database going into Suspect Mode. There can be many reasons for the same such as lack of disk space, corrupt database and all reasons mentioned above. Thus, we came to know about some steps by which we can recover MS SQL database from suspect mode, emergency or recovery pending state.