Restoring SQL Server Database Taking Long Time: Fix 2024

Have you experienced your SQL database getting stuck during the restoration process? It's not uncommon for many users to find the database restoration process slower than the backup. In this post blog, I will outline the potential reasons behind your SQL Server database getting stuck in the restoration state and offer a few solutions to resolve this issue.

Why Restoring SQL Server Database Taking Long Time?

There are several common reasons why your SQL database may be stuck in a restoring state and therefore inaccessible.

Hardware limitations
The speed of the hardware on which the database is being restored can impact the time it takes to restore. Slow disk drives, insufficient memory, or a slow network connection can all contribute to longer restore times.

Indexes and constraints
If the database being restored has a lot of indexes or constraints, the restore process will take longer as these indexes and constraints need to be recreated during the restore.

Backup method
The method used to backup the database can also impact the restore time. For example, a full backup will generally take longer to restore compared to a differential or incremental backup.

Other processes running
If there are other processes running on the server or workstation where the database is being restored, it can slow down the restore process as resources are being shared.

Solutions to Fix SQL Server Database Stuck in Restoring

Solution1. Select RESTORE WITH RECOVERY in Options

To bring a SQL Server database online and make it accessible after a restore operation, you can use the WITH RECOVERY option in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). Here's how you can select the RESTORE WITH RECOVERY option in SSMS.

Step1. Open SSMS and connect to the SQL Server instance where the database was restored. right-click the SQL Server database in the restoring state and select Tasks > Restore > Database from the context menu.

Step2. In the Restore Database window, select the Options page on the left-hand side. Then choose the RESTORE WITH RECOVERY option to bring the database online and make it accessible. And then click OK to start the restore operation with the selected recovery option.

Solution2. Uncheck Transaction Log in SSMS Restore

You can uncheck the Restore checkbox for the transaction log file in order to exclude the transaction log file from being restored during the database restore process in SSMS. 

Step1.  Launch SSMS and connect to your instance, right-click on the database you want to restore the transaction log for in the Object Explorer. And select Tasks > Restore > Transaction Log... from the context menu.

Step2. The Restore Transaction Log wizard will open. On the General page, you can specify the source and destination of the transaction log restore. Click OK to start the transaction log restore operation.

Solution3. Close Existing Connections to Destination Database

Before restoring a SQL Server database, it is recommended to close existing connections to the destination database to prevent any conflicts or issues during the restore process. 

Step1. Launch SSMS and connect to the SQL Server instance. Right-click on the destination database and select Tasks > Take Offline from the context menu. 

Step2. Click OK, and then you can proceed with the database restore operation without any potential conflicts.

Best Solution to Backup and Restore SQL Server Database- EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise

EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise is a reliable solution for backing up and restoring your SQL Server database. This product allows you to perform database restores without the need to close connections for other databases, ensuring a smooth restoration process. Additionally, it provides advanced options for scheduling backups and supports full, incremental, and differential backup types. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to efficiently backup and restore your SQL database using EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise.

Step1. Launch EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise. Click New Task and choose the specific SQL server database you want to backup.

Step2. Click Browse... to choose destination to specify where you want to store the backup files. You can choose a local drive, external drive, network location, or cloud storage.

Step3. Click on Schedule: Off to configure regular backups. Click on New within the Schedule section to customize the backup scheme according to your requirements. You can choose from different backup types, including Full, Incremental, and Differential, based on your backup strategy. After configuring all settings, click Proceed to start this backup task. 

Step4. To restore your SQL database, navigate to the Recovery tab and browse to locate the backup image that you previously saved. Once you have found the backup image, select it and click OK to specify the target destination for the recovery process.

Summary

This article presents four effective strategies for resolving a SQL database that is taking long time in restoring state. If you encounter additional issues, you can refer to this article for further solutions. For a seamless and secure method of backing up and restoring databases without errors, I recommend using EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise. This software offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface, facilitating centralized management of backups and restores for multiple SQL databases. Don't miss out on a trial of this reliable solution!

FAQs for Restoring SQL Server Database Taking Long Time

1. Why is my SQL Server database restore taking a long time?
The restore process can be delayed due to factors such as the size of the database, hardware limitations, indexes and constraints, backup method, concurrent processes, configuration settings, and backup file issues.

2.What should I do if my SQL database restore is stuck?
If the restore process is stuck, you can check for errors in the SQL Server error logs, ensure there are no active connections to the database, restart the SQL Server service, verify disk space availability, address any blocking processes, and check for backup file integrity.

3.Are there any tools or software that can help optimize SQL database restores?
Yes, there are third-party backup and recovery software solutions, such as EaseUS Todo Backup Enterprise, that offer features to streamline and optimize SQL database backup and restore processes.