Rebuild master db and recover user dbs?

  • Platform: SQL Server 2005 SP3 Developer Edition / Windows 2003 Enterprise, 2-node cluster

    On our test database server the master database has become unavailable (due to storage/hardware issues) and appears to be corrupt.

    Hence of course the whole database server cannot be started. When attempting to start it either normally or in single-user mode, errors such as the following are given:

    Could not redo log record (589:192:1), for transaction ID (0:0), on page (1:309), database 'master' (database ID 1). Page: LSN = (588:328:1), type = 1. Log: OpCode = 13, context 2, PrevPageLSN: (588:312:7). Restore from a backup of the database, or repair the database.

    Unfortunately we have NO backups of any system or user databases, however as its a test server its not a big issue.

    The only option appears to be a database server rebuild, i.e. run the setup.exe which will create new system databases including master. This is fine however before doing this I am trying to work out the following if anyone can help:

    - Is there definitely no way of recovering the master database in this situation? If not...

    - Before rebuilding must the faulty master mdf and ldf files (and the other system db files) be moved elsewhere or does the installer overwrite them?

    - After rebuilding can the user databases be recovered by attaching their files, even though they were not detached? As I understand a database needs to be detached in order to be attached, so if this is true the answer is no.

    Remember we have NO backups at all, only the mdf and ldf files exist on the server itself.

    Many thanks for any help.

  • dp75 (1/26/2011)


    - Is there definitely no way of recovering the master database in this situation? If not...

    No way. Restore or rebuild

    - Before rebuilding must the faulty master mdf and ldf files (and the other system db files) be moved elsewhere or does the installer overwrite them?

    It will overwrite them

    - After rebuilding can the user databases be recovered by attaching their files, even though they were not detached? As I understand a database needs to be detached in order to be attached, so if this is true the answer is no.

    You should be able to, but no guarantees. Make sure that the data and log files are available and hope that they are undamaged.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

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