How to Fix SQL Server Database Stuck in Restoring State

MS SQL database is in a restoring state after restore. Why does this issue happens? How to fix SQL server database stuck in restoring state? You can find tried-and-true solutions to solve your database stuck in restoring problem. If you're not good at solving SQL database issues, don't worry, you can use EaseUS MS SQL Recovery to help you.

Quick navigation of fixes for solving SQL Server database stuck in restoring state issue:

When you try to restore your database, you may encounter this situation. While doing so, the operation is stuck in restoring state. Why does this problem happen?

Here are the possible reasons:

• Corrupt MDF files
• Insufficient disk space
• Hardware or software issue
• Improper termination of the recovery process

In addition to the reasons above, this problem happens when you restore the backup using the NORECOVERY option. The database will be in a restoring state. If you forget to restore additional backups, the database will be stuck in this mode. SQL server database stuck in restoring state isn't a common problem but once it happens, it brings great trouble. Here are two methods to solve your problem.

Method 1. Repair Your Database and Restore Data (Easier)

According to the reasons above, if MDF files get corrupted, you may run into the SQL database stuck in restoring state. You can solve this issue by using a professional MS SQL repair tool. It is the easiest way to repair corrupt MDF and NDF SQL server database and resolve all types of SQL database repair problems. Its features can satisfy your needs in every way:

• It fixes most MS SQL corruptions and helps you recover inaccessible objects from database files.
• The software scans corrupted database files and extracts all vital information like tables, triggers, indexes, keys, rules, schema, and defaults.
• Deleted records recovery is supported.
• Option to save the database into New database and Live database.
• It supports MS SQL 2017, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008, and more. 

Follow the details below to fix the corrupted MDF files and restore the files:

Step 1. Shut down the SQL Service in Task Manager or SQL Server Manager Console.

Step 2. Run EaseUS MS SQL Recovery, click "Browse" or "Search" to locate the corrupt MDF file of the database.

Step 3. Click "Repair" to repair the specified MDF file. EaseUS MS SQL Recovery can recover the lost records during the repair process. You can preview the repairing result in EaseUS SQL Recovery as the below image.

Step 4. Then, click the "Export" button in the bottom right corner of the screen to choose to "Export to database" or "Export as SQL scripts" to save the repaired MDF file and components. (New database is considered as a secure way to protect your SQL Server database security.)

Method 2. Fix Database Stuck in Restoring by Adding WITH RECOVERY

If the database is stuck in the restoring state and you don't have other backups to restore, you can recover the database using the following command: RESTORE DATABASE [Database name] WITH RECOVERY.

This command will make the database that is in the "restoring" state available for end-users. You can access this database again, but you are unable to restore additional backups for this database without starting all over again with the full backup.

If you receive an error that the database is in use, try to set the user to single-user mode:

USE master
GO
ALTER DATABASE Database name
SET SINGLE_USER
WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE

Then, try the restore with the first recovery command again.

Method 3. Solve SQL Database Stuck in Restoring by Deleting and Restoring

In addition to the WITH RECOVERY command, you can also try to fix the problem by deleting and restoring the database. 

Step 1. Open Object Explorer in SSMS. Select the target database and click "OK" to delete the database.

Step 2. The database will expel from your database list.

Step 3. Now, right-click on the database and choose "Restore Database".

Step 4. Choose the "Device" checkbox on the Restore Database window to choose the backup file in your machine.

Step 5. In the wake of choosing the .bak file press the "Ok" button.

Step 6. Finally, check if the database is restored successfully.

Method 4. Remove Database Mirroring to Solve Database Stuck in Restoring

If your database is part of SQL Server Database Mirroring, it can also be stuck in the restoring state. Database Mirroring is a solution that allows you to have high availability for your database. To solve your problem, you can remove database mirroring and the database will return to normal. Here are the steps to remove database mirroring using SQL Server Management Studio:

Step 1. During a database mirroring session, connect to the principal server instance, in Object Explorer, click the server name to expand the server tree.

Step 2. Expand "Databases", and select the database.

Step 3. Right-click the database, select "Tasks", and then click "Mirror". This opens the Mirroring page of the Database Properties dialog box.

Step 4. In the "Select a Page" pane, click "Mirroring".

Step 5. To remove mirroring, click "Remove Mirroring". Click "Yes", the session is stopped, and mirroring is removed from the database.

Then the mirroring database will return to the normal state and you can back up and restore the database as a normal database. 

Method 5. Uncheck Transaction Log in SSMS Restore to Troubleshoot

Step 1. Start SSMS and connect to your instance, right-click the database which is stuck in restoring.

Step 2. Select "Tasks > Restore > Transaction Log…".

Step 3. On the General page window, uncheck all log backups in Select the transaction log backups to restore section, then click "OK".

Step 4. Refresh your database list, and check if the database works properly.

Final Verdicts

In this tutorial, we provide you with five ways to fix SQL Server database stuck in restoring state. The easiest way to restore and repair SQL database is using EaseUS SQL repair software, which can repair the corrupted database files and resolve various SQL database repair problems.