Procedure to Recover SQL Database from Suspect Mode – Ultimate Solutions

SQL Server has become the most widely used relational database management system. It is used by small and large enterprises to manage the data. But like any other application, MS SQL Server also shows different types of errors such as SQL Error Code 5171 , 5172 , SQL Server Error 18456 . In fact, sometimes when the user opens their database, they end up with a message like – Database in SUSPECT mode.

This mode indicates that the database server becomes corrupted or damaged. In such a situation, neither user becomes unable to access the SQL database nor able to recover the database during the server startup. To fix this issue, the users required to take strong steps for the same. Therefore, in this post, we will show how to recover database from the Suspect mode in SQL Server 2012 / 2008 / 2008 R2 / 2016 / 2005 / 2000 / 2017/ 2019.

SQL Database from Suspect Mode User Query

Let’s have a look on user queries to get a better insight about the SUSPECT Mode problem.

“Hello, I am using Microsoft SQL Server 2008. While performing concurrent transaction activity, my SQL Server faces sudden shutdown. I don’t know why it happens but when I restarted it, SQL Server shows Database is in Suspect Mode. Now, I am not able to access my database. If anyone knows what are the reasons behind Database going in Suspect Mode and how to recover database from Suspect mode in SQL Server 2008. Please let me know ”

“Hi Folks, My production database is marked as ‘Suspect Mode’ which hides all the database objects in the database. Our current resolution is stopping SQL Server services and restarting them” But the database still remain inaccessible. Can anyone please tell me why is this happening and what is the resolution to restore SQL Server database from Suspect Mode ?”

Immediate Solution: In case if you want to know how to recover the database from the Suspect mode. Then the user can take the help of an automated solution. This will help the user to access and recover the SQL Server database components easily.

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Reasons for Database in Suspect Mode

There are multiple factors that are responsible for SQL database corruption that also results in database Suspect mode situation. All the reasons are listed here, go through it and prevent the database in future from this error

• When the Transaction log file of SQL Server got corrupted or damaged. In such situation, user can try the SQL Log Analyzer Software and recover SQL database from Transaction log.
• The system becomes unsuccessful to launch the device where the log files are saved.
• Due to the installation of an antivirus program, the users cannot access the transaction log or data file.
• SQL database marked as ‘Suspect’, due to improper shutdown of SQL server or unexpected termination of the application.
• Sudden restart during the transactions, leads to corruption issue in a log file, hence database marked as Suspect state.
• Unavailability of  free disk space in SQL Server database also turns out to be this situation.
• Introduction of any kind of malicious code in Microsoft SQL database Server.

After understanding the causes of this problem, let’s get started with the troubleshooting methods.

Recover Database From Suspect Mode in SQL Server – Step by Step Approach

Let us discuss the manual workaround to repair database from Suspect Mode in Microsoft SQL Server 2019 / 2017 / 2016 / 2014 / 2012 / 2008 / 2008 R2 / 2005 / 2000. Here are the following steps :

Step 1: Setup Suspect Database to EMERGENCY Mode

In this phase, the admin is going to set the database to Emergency Mode. For this, you need to launch the SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the database. Afterward, open query pane in SSMS and run the following query.
ALTER DATABASE DATABASE_NAME SET EMERGENCY

Step 2: Time to Check Damage in DB

Once you have the access of database, execute a Consistency Check on master file. Its function is to find out all the logical as well as physical glitch within the database.
DBCC CHECKDB (Database_Name)

Step 3: Run Repair Command to Recover Database from Suspect Mode

Run the following query in the SSMS. Although, this query results out in some data loss.
DBCC CHECKDB (N’Database_Name’, REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS) WITH ALL_ERRORMSGS, NO_INFOMSGS;
GO

Step 4: Get Back to Multi User Mode

At last, switch from Single user mode to Multi User Mode and check the database connectivity.
ALTER DATABASE dbName SET MULTI_USER

Restore Database from Suspect Mode – An Automated Approach

In a case when the SQL database file is extremely damaged or corrupted , the above-described method gets fail to repair database from suspect mode. So, the best alternative of manual solution is to use an automated third-party software. Now, the problem is there are lots of recovery software out there in the market and which one can user trust?

So we suggest the professional Enterprise-Grade database recovery MDF Repair tool to recover the database in a suspect mode in SQL Server. Additionally, this amazing and powerful tool repair highly corrupted MDF and NDF database file. Moreover, it can recover all the database objects like Triggers, Rules, Stored Procedures. Also, the tool allows the user to recover deleted SQL database objects. The software supports MS SQL Server 2019 and all earlier editions.

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Below are the Steps to perform SQL Suspect Database Recovery

1. Launch the automated solution in your system and Click on Open.

2. Browse the MDF file from System and then choose Advanced Scan mode.

3. Software will start the Scanning process of MDF file.

4. Preview the Complete SQL Server MDF file database components.

5. Click on Export button to start the recovery process.

Concluding lines

Microsoft SQL Server is the most influential and widely used enterprise database management system. But many times, the error codes causes crucial issues in SQL database. As a result, users are unable to connect or access the database. One such problem of Database in Suspect mode is described in this blog.

We have discussed the potential reasons for suspect mode and the manual workaround to recover database from Suspect mode. To ensure the safe recovery of database and to prevent any kind of data loss, one can use alternative option i.e., SQL Recovery software to repair SQL database from Suspect Mode. It will provide the successful recovery of database.

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