Database table missing

Pa1 0 Reputation points
2024-01-14T18:36:17.0333333+00:00

Hello Everyone, I recently created a new SQL database table and spent all time to create the data. Surprisingly one of the days it disappeared. I thought it might be rendering issue on SQL Server Management Studio. I restarted the SQL Studio without any success. I am 100% sure I didn't delete it. Not sure how to restore it back. Any suggestions or thoughts will be appreciated. Regards, Pavan

Azure SQL Database
SQL Server
SQL Server
A family of Microsoft relational database management and analysis systems for e-commerce, line-of-business, and data warehousing solutions.
14,481 questions
{count} votes

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Pinaki Ghatak 5,575 Reputation points Microsoft Employee
    2024-01-14T19:04:54.72+00:00

    Hello Pavan. Firstly, from your issue above, it is not clear, if you created the table only visually, and forgot to run the script and save, OR did you create the table using the CREATE TABLE commands. Assuming the table was at least saved once: Here are a few suggestions that might help you recover your missing SQL database table:

    1. Check for a Backup: If you have a backup of your database, you can restore the database from the backup. This is the most straightforward method if you have a recent backup.
    2. Use the RESTORE DATABASE Command: If you have a .bak backup file, you can use the RESTORE DATABASE command in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to restore your database. Here’s an example of how you might do this:
    USE [master]
    RESTORE DATABASE [YourDatabase] FROM DISK = N'Path\\to\\your\\backup.bak'
    WITH FILE = 1, REPLACE, STATS = 5
    

    Please replace YourDatabase with the name of your database and Path\\to\\your\\backup.bak with the path to your backup file.

    1. Check for Space Issues: If your server is running out of space, it might cause tables to not show up after a restore. Make sure you have enough space on your server.
    2. Use a Database Recovery Tool: There are several third-party tools available that can help you recover a single table from a SQL Server database backup.
    3. Recreate the Table: If the table was completely dropped, you can use the SELECT INTO statement to copy the rows and the table structure back into the database.

    Please note that the exact steps might vary based on your specific situation and SQL Server version. Always make sure to have a backup of your data to prevent data loss. If you’re not comfortable performing these steps, you might want to consider reaching out to a database administrator or a professional for help.


  2. Erland Sommarskog 117.1K Reputation points MVP
    2024-01-14T19:24:35.8433333+00:00

    First, you have tagged this both Azure SQL Database and SQL Server. Are you using Azure SQL Database, or are you using SQL Server locally on your laptop, or in the network of your organisation?

    Since we know nothing about your environment, we can only make speculations. Here are some possible explanations:

    1. You restored an older backup of the database, thereby over-writing everything, including this table.
    2. You (or someone else) accidentally dropped the table.
    3. You renamed the table or moved it a different schema.
    4. You are connected to the wrong server, instance or database. That is, you are simply looking in the wrong place.

    You can use this query to see which tables you have in your database:

    SELECT s.name AS "schema", t.name AS "table"
    FROM   sys.tables t
    JOIN   sys.schemas s ON t.schema_id = s.schema_id
    ORDER BY "schema", "table"
    

Your answer

Answers can be marked as Accepted Answers by the question author, which helps users to know the answer solved the author's problem.