Recover Deleted Records in SQL Server 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 & 2019
Accidentally deleting SQL records might be the worst nightmare for database administrators. Hence, when it comes to recover deleted records in SQL Server, users get concerned about which method is best. With the help of this write-up, we will learn more about the common causes of deletion, challenges during restoration, and the best approaches to restore the data with ease and precision.
However, to understand what users actually encounter after deletion, let’s first take a look at a user query.
Please help! I am using SQL Server version 2005. I accidentally ran a DELETE command against a table with the wrong WHERE clause. Can anyone tell me how I can recover deleted data from SQL Server tables? Also, I would like to say thanks in advance!
Why & How to Recover Deleted Records in SQL Server?
There are several reasons or scenarios where a user might have to recover deleted data from SQL Server. Some of these reasons are listed below:
- The most common cause is the accidental deletion of records in SQL Server.
- If a user has used a poorly written DELETE command, it can also lead to unintended data deletion.
- Human error is one of the common factors. There are chances that database administrators might delete data accidentally during maintenance tasks or testing.
- If there is unauthorized activity in the database, users might need to recover deleted data in SQL Server, even if it was deleted with malicious intent.
- In rare cases, database corruption also contributes to unintentional deletion of records in the database.
These are some of the situations where users need to recover deleted records in SQL Server, accidentally or intentionally deleted from the database. We will now move to the methods that might help users to recover the data easily.
Related Read: How often I run DBCC CHECKDB to repair the SQL database?
Know How to Restore Deleted Records in SQL Server Smartly
After understanding the reasons and situations for deleted records restoration, we will now take a look at the steps of different methods and understand how they are helpful and where they fall short. Beginning with the first method, let’s see how a backup helps with resolving the issue.
Method 1: Restore Data from Existing SQL Backup File
The first method requires the Full Backup file to restore the deleted records. Below are the steps to recover deleted records in SQL Server:
- Open SQL Server Management Studio. Connect to SQL Server instance.
- Right-click on the Databases tab and select the Restore option.
- Next, select Device as the backup source and browse to the desired .bak file.
- Then, select the required full database backup.
- Add the database name for the restored copy of the database to prevent overwriting the original database.
- Next, go to the Files section and verify the database file locations.
- Click OK to restore the backup.
- Then, open the restored database copy and locate the deleted database records.
- Copy the recovered deleted data from the restored database to the original database.
These steps will help users with restoring the database and further separating deleted records from the database. Let’s now move to the next method to see how it works.
Method 2: Recover Deleted Records in SQL Server Using Transaction Log Backups
In this method, we will take a look at how transaction log backups help users with the desired task. The steps to restore records from the transaction log are listed below:
- The first step is to identify the full database backup created before the deletion.
- Next, identify the transaction log backups created after the full backup.
- Open SQL Server Management Studio next, and connect to SQL Server instance.
- Go to the Restore option by right-clicking on Databases.
- Select the full backup as the initial restore to recover deleted records in SQL Server.
- Then select the required transaction log backups in the right order.
- Select the Point in time option for restore. Next, set the recovery time to right before the accidental deletion.
- One can restore the database to a separate database if they require any specific deleted records.
- Next, verify the restored data and then locate the deleted data.
- Copy the specified deleted records back to the original database.
- Lastly, verify the recovered records before proceeding with scheduled tasks and operations.
These steps will help users with restoring the database first and further restoring the deleted records from the desired database. As easy as they might seem, there are a few challenges users might encounter with the manual methods. Let’s now take a look at these limitations and how users can overcome them.
Setbacks with Manual Approaches & How to Overcome Them
The manual approaches might look easy and seem feasible to recover deleted records in SQL Server. However, the limitations with these approaches raise bigger concerns. Below are some of these limitations and suggestions on how to overcome them easily.
- Both these approaches depend on available backups of the SQL Server database.
- In case there are no backups, it might become complicated or impossible for users to restore the deleted data.
- The manual approaches might not be able to handle large database files, as these processes involve restoring the complete database first and then saving the required data.
- Both methods come with the risk of overwriting original data and compromising data integrity.
- To carry out both methods, users must have technical knowledge about the process and commands.
With such limitations, the process becomes much riskier than optimal to recover deleted records in SQL Server. This is where database experts recommend using the Best SQL Database Recovery Tool.
The major benefit of using this utility is that users do not require database backup files or need to restore the complete database. This software has the potential to restore deleted data from the SQL table without losing a single bit of information. Also, by using this utility, the user can easily recover dropped tables in SQL Server and database objects like tables, views, stored procedures, functions, indexes, etc.
This application shows a preview of deleted database objects and table records in red. This utility is compatible with SQL Server 2025/ 2022/ 2019/ 2017/ 2016/ 2014, and all prior versions.
Recover Deleted Records in SQL Server 2025, 2022, 2019, and Older Versions
- Install and run the suggested software and click Open to browse MDF files.
- Choose one from Advanced Scan to detect any corruption in the database. Select the Recover Deleted Records Option.
- Preview retrieved data on the software panel and click the Export button to recover deleted records in SQL Server.
- In the Export Window, choose the desired destination from Live SQL Server, SQL Scripts, or CSV files.
- Add authentication details, select desired database objects, and choose the Export With Schema and Data option.
- Lastly, select the Recover Deleted Records option and click the Export button.
These steps will help users easily recover the deleted data and records without compromising database integrity or requiring core technical expertise. The tool is capable of handling large database files and also recovering accidentally deleted data from SQL Server.
Final Words
Through the technical write-up, we have discussed how to recover deleted records in SQL Server. To make the issue simpler for users to understand, we have listed a few common reasons why it is necessary to recover deleted data in SQL Server and how it can be done without losing any more data. After learning the steps for the manual approaches, we have listed the limitations and setbacks of these approaches and how a database administrator can overcome them using a dedicated utility.