If you need to manually restore an SQL Database in Management Studio you can follow the instructions below for the version of SQL Server running on your server.
Please note: This can not be done remotely and requires remote desktop access, if you are a shared hosting customer you will need to contact support to have this performed for you. If you are a dedicated server customer you can follow the instructions below
SQL Server 2012 and up:
- Log onto SQL Server Management Studio:
How To Connect to Your MSSQL Database
- Navigate to the database you wish to restore
- Right Click > Tasks > Restore > Database
- Once on the General tab set the source to Device > Select Backup Device > Add > Navigate to the .bak file you're restoring to

- Ensure The Destination Database is the correct one
- Select the Options tab
- Check Overwrite the existing database (WITH REPLACE) and Close existing connections to destination database
- Uncheck Take Tail-Log Backup Before Restore

- Click OK
SQL 2008:
- Log into SQL Server Management Studio.
- Navigate to the database you wish to restore.
- Right click > Tasks > Restore > Database.
- Once on the General tab select "From Device" for the source for restore, then navigate to the .bak file you're restoring to.
- Ensure the Destination for restore is set to the correct database.
- Select the Options tab.
- Check "Overwrite the existing database (WITH REPLACE)"
- Click OK
If, while performing the above steps in either versions of SQL, you receive an error stating that the database is unable to be restored because it is in use please follow the steps below.
- Open IIS
- Expand the server name.
- Click on Application Pools.
- Right click on the application pool for the domain and click Stop.
- Click on Sites.
- Select the site name and click Stop under Manage Web Site.
- Repeat the steps above for the version of SQL Server.
- Once the restore is complete Start both the Site and Application Pool of your site.
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Article ID: 1788, Created: November 1, 2012 at 11:49 AM, Modified: November 11, 2020 at 10:51 AM