Hi Gail,

I recently upgraded our main database server to SQL 2012, and I used the method that the OP described of bringing the server into single user mode, etc.

Your advice seems like a much better way to accomplish this. I am testing it on a local test server, and I can't seem to get NORECOVERY to work with the BACKUP DATABASE command:

BACKUP DATABASE test_db

TO DISK = 'c:\backups\test_db.bak'

WITH NORECOVERY

Msg 3032, Level 16, State 2, Line 1

One or more of the options (norecovery) are not supported for this statement. Review the documentation for supported options.

If I changed the database into FULL recovery, take a backup, and then take a log backup with BACKUP LOG ... WITH NORECOVERY, your advice works perfectly.

Did I miss something somewhere? I am on SQL 2012 RTM.