Good afternoon,
   I have to inquire about if it's feasible to restore a SQL Server v.6.5
database just from a SQL 6.5 .dat file.   The company was doing operation
system file backups of the directories but they never made any SQL Server
backups or dump files(.bak files) and lost everything.

Is it possible to recover a database from a .dat file?

Thanks,

LeeRoy

So this is not a file produced by the DUMP DATABASE command, i.e., not a backup file?

If so, you are looking at using the commands DISK REINIT and DISK REFIT. It is not as easy as the
new architecture. You need to figure out the parameters to use for DISK REINIT (based on size of
file etc) and then hope that DISK REFIT can manage to create the fragment allocations for you in
sysusages. I suggest you read up as much as possible on these commands. and also familiar yourself
with database devices, databases and how databases utilize storage in database devices.

Also, I hope you have all the files that constitutes the database. So you aren't missing, for
instance a database device file used for the transaction log.

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Hi,

To add on to TIBOR there is an alternate methodology if you have all the DAT
files for both SYSTEM AND USER DATABASES.

STEPS:-

1. Copy the SQL 6.5 DAT files (data and Log dat files including system
database) to a safe location (filder)
2. Install SQL 6.5 with same directory structutre as old and apply the same
service pack level.
3. Stop SQL Server and copy the DAT files taken step-1
4. Ensure that the DAT files are copied to the same folder as old (Ensure
that you copy Master, Model, MSDB).
5. STart the MSSQl server service and see that all the database are up.


If you have issues in starting try starting the MSSQL Server service in
Mimimal mode using "-c -f " parameters
and trouble shoot.


Thanks
Hari
SQL Server MVP


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AccessRecovery / MSSQLRecovery
Database Recovery Tools for Access, MS SQL
Recoveronix provides data recovery tools for multiple environments. Among
their database offerings:

- AccessRecovery is a data recovery program for Microsoft Access databases.
AccessRecovery has a recovery engine designed to retrieve data from most
damaged Access databases.

AccessRecovery recovers tables and queries, the relationships between
tables, and forms and reports. It is also able to recover counter-type fields
and links to external tables (if the link is correct and valid).

- MSSQLRecovery processes a corrupted Microsoft SQL server database file
(.mdf, .dat) or Microsoft SQL Server backup file and creates a SQL script
with recovered database structure and data. The resulting script is split
into multiple parts for the convenience of viewing and editing. Multi-volume
database file recovery is possible.

MSSQLRecovery recovers standard items, such as tables and procedures, as
well as triggers, predefined defaults, default values, rules, constrain
"CHECKS," user data types, primary keys, unique key, indexes and foreign
keys. Current version supports Microsoft SQL Server 6.5, 7.0, 2000.

Please follow this link to download the recovery tool and hopefully this
will resolve the issue you are running into, from the sound of this utility
it is possible to recover from a *.dat file.

http://products.databasejournal.com/dbtools/mgmt/1057276444.html



Show quoteHide quote

AccessRecovery / MSSQLRecovery
Database Recovery Tools for Access, MS SQL
Recoveronix provides data recovery tools for multiple environments. Among
their database offerings:

- AccessRecovery is a data recovery program for Microsoft Access databases.
AccessRecovery has a recovery engine designed to retrieve data from most
damaged Access databases.

AccessRecovery recovers tables and queries, the relationships between
tables, and forms and reports. It is also able to recover counter-type fields
and links to external tables (if the link is correct and valid).

- MSSQLRecovery processes a corrupted Microsoft SQL server database file
(.mdf, .dat) or Microsoft SQL Server backup file and creates a SQL script
with recovered database structure and data. The resulting script is split
into multiple parts for the convenience of viewing and editing. Multi-volume
database file recovery is possible.

MSSQLRecovery recovers standard items, such as tables and procedures, as
well as triggers, predefined defaults, default values, rules, constrain
"CHECKS," user data types, primary keys, unique key, indexes and foreign
keys. Current version supports Microsoft SQL Server 6.5, 7.0, 2000.

From the functionallity of this utility it is possible to restore data from
*.dat sql file please refer to the link below to get more information and
download the utility.

http://products.databasejournal.com/dbtools/mgmt/1057276444.html



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