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Krystian
Asked: 2017-05-26 14:12:38 +0800 CST

Error during restore of MSSQL database - how to get version number of the one which created the bak file?

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I have received a .bak file from MSSql database from a friend of mine. He is quite desperate because his system failed, and he was able to recover the last database backup. This should be enough to get things going, but he cannot recover the file using latest MSSql 2016. When restoring, he gets an error message [sorry, the message is in polish language, so I'm doing my best with translation]:

Database cannot be restored on Your SQL Server 12.0.4100.1.
(Version of SQL Server which created the backp: -1.-1 file format: -1, preferred file format: 782).

At the moment, where I am it is after midnight, and the only computer I have is my macbook with storage shortage, so I can't just install Windows and SQL Server on it to have a go at trial and error with the database restore.

I am wondering, if there's something obvious I am try on a windows machine with SQL Server?

My best bet is to try and get the version of SQL Server which created the archive, hoping it will be able to restore it. Howver how can I learn about the version? -1 is not helping me much...

Is there something else I could do to restore the database or to learn the version this backup originates from?

sql-server

1 Answers

  1. It seems that the bak file contains a header that can be read using RESTORE HEADERONLY FROM DISK = 'C:\path\to\mydatabase.bak'

    sauce: http://www.imiscommunity.com/restore_headeronly_how_to_check_the_version_of_a_sql_server_bak_file

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