I restored a SQL database from SQL 2000 to SQL 2005 and got this error during backup:

"The backup of full-text catalog '' is not permitted because it is not online" as full text catalog was not restored.

1. Ran below T-SQL and found catalog location is from old server which does not exist in new server and hence Catalog was offline.

SELECT name, physical_name AS CurrentLocation, state_desc

FROM sys.master_files

WHERE database_id = DB_ID(N'databasename');

2. Copy the folder form old server to new server. Change the path for catalog file:

ALTER DATABASE dbname

MODIFY FILE ( NAME = ******_Catalog , FILENAME = 'D:\SQL\*****_Catalog');

3. Now verify the status and it should be online.

SELECT name, physical_name AS CurrentLocation, state_desc

FROM sys.master_files

WHERE database_id = DB_ID(N'databasename');