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Restore 11gb mdf file

Author

Topic

TommSaha
Starting Member

8 Posts

Posted - 2009-03-02 : 08:15:42

Hi, hope this is in the right section.

We have a very old, horrible, and huge database running on a sql server. It gets backed up everyday by some norton software.

Last week, we lost some data and have been trying to get it back.

We can get a 8gb MDF file and a 2gb LDF file.

On a brand new server, running SQL server 2005, I have tried to attach this file but it says the limit is 4gb.

is there ANY way I can restore it? I only need it for about 20 mins to run a few queries and then can delete it again.

GilaMonster
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

4507 Posts

Posted - 2009-03-02 : 09:02:54

quote:
Originally posted by TommSaha
On a brand new server, running SQL server 2005, I have tried to attach this file but it says the limit is 4gb.

Sounds like you have SQL Express there. The size limit on Express is 4GB, no way around it.

Get a full version of SQL server 2005, or an evaluation version and restore to that.

--
Gail Shaw
SQL Server MVP

TommSaha
Starting Member

8 Posts

Posted - 2009-03-02 : 10:17:13

I thought I had a full version of SQL Server 2005 installed.

How do I check?

On my server, my version of Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio:

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 9.00.3042.00
Microsoft Analysis Services Client Tools 2005.090.3042.00
Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2000.086.3959.00 (srv03_sp2_rtm.070216-1710)
Microsoft MSXML 2.6 3.0 5.0 6.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0.5730.13
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0.50727.1433
Operating System 5.2.3790

It doesn't say 'Express' anywhere.

GilaMonster
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

4507 Posts

Posted - 2009-03-02 : 15:25:50

Run SELECT @@Version

The version of the client tools doesn't matter, it's the version of the DB engine that's important.
I'm saying it's SQL Express because it's the only version that has a 4GB size limit hardcoded.

--
Gail Shaw
SQL Server MVP

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