Ensuring the security of data is crucial for IT administrators due to threats of data loss, human errors, scam attempts, hardware damage, or natural disasters. One effective practice to minimize the risk of data loss is to create regular backups of the database. These backups are stored in BAK format and can be used to restore the database contents if the original data files get deleted or corrupted. In this article, we will discuss different techniques to restore a database in SQL Server 2014 from a .bak file.

Method 1: Restore Full Database Backup via SQL Server Management Studio

To restore a database using SQL Server Management Studio, follow these steps:

1. Launch SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the appropriate instance of Microsoft SQL Server Database Engine.
2. Click on Object Explorer next to the Databases node and choose the Restore Database option from the contextual tab.
3. Select the General menu and navigate to the Source section. Click on the Device option to locate the backup file.
4. Highlight the database with the .bak extension and click the OK button.
5. In the Options section, specify the desired Restore Options.
6. In the General tab, click the Verify Backup Media button to ensure the database is attached properly.
7. If the database is attached correctly, you will receive a pop-up message stating “Database ‘Name’ restored successfully.”
8. Refresh the master database in the object explorer to see the restored database.

Method 2: Restore Full Database Backup via Query

Alternatively, you can restore a SQL database from a .bak file using a query. Open a new query window and execute the following RESTORE statement:

RESTORE DATABASE [DatabaseName] FROM DISK = 'C:\Path\To\Backup.bak' WITH REPLACE;

After successful restoration, you can use this database for different operations.

Method 3: Restore Full Database Backup via Expert Solution

If the above methods are not working or seem complex, you can consider using a reliable third-party tool like SQL Bak File Repair. This software allows users to recover data from various SQL backup files, including tables, rules, triggers, stored procedures, views, columns, indexes, keys, and more. It supports both MDF and NDF files saved within the SQL BAK file and offers two export options: SQL Server Database and SQL Server Compatible Script. The tool has no file size limitation and supports .bak files of SQL Server 2014, 2012, and all below versions.

Conclusion

With the backup of a database in SQL Server, you can restore the data in any data loss circumstances. In this article, we have discussed how to restore a database in SQL Server 2014 from a .bak file using SQL Server Management Studio and PowerShell. If you find manual solutions complicated and time-consuming, a reliable third-party tool like SQL Bak File Repair is also recommended.