SQL Server Can Not Recognize MDF File After Improper System Shutdown

MDF (Master Database File) is the repository of all valuable data in the Microsoft SQL Server. Data is stored in the form of tables. However, in some situations, improper system shutdown may make your database faulty and inaccessible. This is because unexpected shutdown may damage the database. Microsoft SQL Server can not read the corrupted database and thus you face data loss. In such critical situations, you need to opt for SQL Database Recovery solutions if the backup is not updated.

Improper system shutdown may occur due to numerous reasons, such as system crash, power outages, application freezing, unresponsiveness of the system, and more. As a practical example of this problem, you may encounter the below error message when you reboot your system after an unexpected system shutdown and try to attach the MDF file manually:

“TITLE: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express
Failed to retrieve data for this request.
(Microsoft.sqlserver.Express.smoenum)
For help, go to Microsoft help

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: An exception occurred
while executing a Transact-SQL statement or batch.
(Microsoft.sqlserver.Express.connectioninfo
D:\Data\MSSQL\ISEC.mdf is not a primary database file.
(Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 5171) For help, go to Microsoft help

After this behavior of Microsoft SQL Server, you can not access the database. It results in severe data loss. In order to access your valuable data, it is essential to identify the root of the problem and perform SQL Server Recovery by resolving it.

Cause

Microsoft SQL Server can not read the damaged MDF file. In such cases, the problem occurs when SQL Server attempts to read data from damaged files and fails. Corruption is caused by improper system shutdown, which damages critical data structures and important system files of SQL Server database.

Resolution

You can work around this problem by restoring the damaged MDF file from an updated backup. Backup is the redundant copy of the database, which is maintained to prevent data loss. However, if the database backup is either not updated or is damaged, you need to use third-party SQL Recovery software to restore your database.

The applications are specifically designed to carry out in-depth scan of entire database and extract inaccessible data from it. They do not demand sound technical skills due to their simple and interactive user interface. Such tools perform safe SQL Recovery owing to their read-only conduct, by virtue of which they apply complex algorithms to read data from the original file. This data is simultaneously saved in a newly created file, thus leaving the original file intact.

SQL Recovery software repairs and restores damaged SQL Server database in all cases of corruption. The software works well with Microsoft SQL Server 2008, 2005, and 2000. It restores all MDF file objects, such as tables, reports, forms, macros, stored procedures, triggers, and more.