How to recover deleted rows in SQL Server

Note: All screenshots are applied to SQL Server 2012 Enterprise Evaluation Edition.
 
1. Introduction:
In this article we will get to know that how can we recover deleted data if it happens accidently. We can recover deleted rows if we know the time when data is deleted. We can achieve this goal using LSN ( Log Sequence Numbers ). As per Microsoft, “Every record in the SQL Server transaction log is uniquely identified by a log sequence number (LSN). We will use these LSNs to recover our deleted data.
 
2. Requirements:
To recover deleted rows from the table in database, the database must have the FULL Recovery or BULK-LOGGED Recovery Model at the time the deletion occurred, and be quick to act so the logs are still available for you to recover from.

SIMPLE Recovery doesn’t support transaction log backup hence it is not possible to recover from the SIMPLE recovery model.
 
3. Steps Involved:
Let’s set up environment for recovering deleted rows step by step (the first 8 set up the scenario, and important to step through):
 
Step1:
Create a new database named RecoverDeletedData and set recovery model as FULL (if it is not set as FULL by default). We will use this database to demonstrate (firstly) deleting some rows, and then, how we can recover those deleted rows from the transaction log.
 
So, let's get started... Use the commands below to create your sample database (you might need to change drive letters as/if necessary) :
 

USE Master
GO
CREATE DATABASE [RecoverDeletedData]
ON PRIMARY
( NAME = N'RecoverDeletedData',
FILENAME = N'D:\RecoverDeletedData\RecoverDeletedData.mdf'
SIZE = 4096KB, FILEGROWTH = 1024KB )
LOG ON
( NAME = N'RecoverDeletedData_log',
FILENAME = N'D:\RecoverDeletedData\RecoverDeletedData.ldf',
SIZE = 1024KB,  FILEGROWTH = 10%)
GO

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 Figure1. Creating database RecoverDeletedData
 
 
Step2:
In 2^nd step we will create a table for our environment.
 

CREATE TABLE [Friends] (
    [Sr.No] INT IDENTITY,
    [Name] varchar (50),
    [City] varchar (50));

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Step3:
After creating table “Friends”, let’s insert some values into it.
 

USE RecoverDeletedData
GO
 
insert into friends values (1, 'IanRox', 'Delhi')
insert into friends values (2, 'Jim', 'New York')
insert into friends values (3, 'Catherine', 'Las Vegas')
insert into friends values (4, 'John', 'California')
insert into friends values (5, 'Katie', 'Mexico')
insert into friends values (6, 'Sabrina', 'Indiana')
insert into friends values (7, 'Alfred', 'Hamburg')
insert into friends values (8, 'Vaibhav', 'Bangalore')
insert into friends values (9, 'Vijeta', 'Mumbai')
insert into friends values (10, 'YashRox', 'Sultanpur')

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Step4:
After inserting records check the inserted records with below query:
 

USE RecoverDeletedData
GO
Select * from friends

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Figure2. Fetching data from friends table of RecoverDeletedData database
 
Step5:
In step5, we will take full backup of database “RecoverDeletedData”
 

USE RecoverDeletedData
GO
BACKUP DATABASE [RecoverDeletedData]
TO DISK = N'D:\RecoverDeletedData\RDDFull.bak'
WITH NOFORMAT, NOINIT, NAME = N'RecoverDeletedData-Full Database Backup',
SKIP, NOREWIND, NOUNLOAD, STATS = 10
GO

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Figure3. Full Backup database RecoverDeletedData
 
 
Step6:
Now we will go ahead and delete some rows so that we can recover them with the help of LSNs.
 

USE RecoverDeletedData
GO
DELETE friends
WHERE [Sr.No] >5
GO

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Figure4. Deleting rows from friends table
 
Step7:
Now check the “friends” again from below query:
 

select * from friends

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Figure5. Fetching rows from friends table after deletion
 
Ah! only 5 records left as we deleted the records from 6^th rows to 10^th rows.
 
Step8:
Now take transaction log backup of the database.
 

USE RecoverDeletedData
GO
BACKUP LOG [RecoverDeletedData]
TO DISK = N'D:\RecoverDeletedData\RDDTrLog.trn'
WITH NOFORMAT, NOINIT,
NAME = N'RecoverDeletedData-Transaction Log Backup',
SKIP, NOREWIND, NOUNLOAD, STATS = 10
GO

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Figure6. Backup transaction log for RecoverDeletedData
 
Step9:
Now to recover deleted rows we must gather information for deleted rows. To gather information about deleted rows we can run below query:
 

USE RecoverDeletedData
GO
Select [Current LSN] LSN], [Transaction ID], Operation, Context, AllocUnitName
FROM
fn_dblog(NULL, NULL)
WHERE Operation  = 'LOP_DELETE_ROWS'

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Figure7. Finding Transaction ID of deleted rows

From the above query we will get Transaction ID of deleted rows, now we have to find at what time rows got deleted.
 
Step10:
In step10 we will find exact time when rows got deleted with below query using Transaction ID “000:000002f1”:
 

USE RecoverDeletedData
GO
 
SELECT
 [Current LSN],  Operation, [Transaction ID], [Begin Time], [Transaction Name], [Transaction SID]
FROM
    fn_dblog(NULL, NULL)
WHERE
    [Transaction ID] = ‘000:000002f1'
AND
    [Operation] = 'LOP_BEGIN_XACT'

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After executing the above query we will get the current LSN “00000025:000001d0:0001” [ Apology, here I forgot to take screenshot]
 
Step11:
In step11 we will proceed with restore operation to recover deleted rows with below query:
 

USE RecoverDeletedData
GO
 
RESTORE DATABASE RecoverDeletedData_COPY FROM
DISK = 'D:\RecoverDeletedData\RDDFull.bak'
WITH
MOVE 'RecoverDeletedData' TO 'D:\RecoverDB\RecoverDeletedData.mdf',
MOVE 'RecoverDeletedData_log' TO 'D:\RecoverDB\RecoverDeletedData_log.ldf',
REPLACE, NORECOVERY;
GO

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Figure8. Restoring with FULL backup
 
Step12:
In step12 we will apply transaction log to restore deleted rows using LSN “00000025:000001d0:0001”
 

USE RecoverDeletedData
GO
RESTORE LOG RecoverDeletedData_COPY FROM DISK = N'D:\RecoverDeletedData\RDOTrLog.trn' WITH STOPBEFOREMARK = ‘lsn:0x00000025:000001d0:0001'

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Figure9. Restoring transaction log using LSN
 
Here one thing we need to remember that the LSN values are in hexadecimal form and for restoring with LSN value we need it in decimal form. To convert it to decimal form just put 0x before LSN like below in stopbeforemark clause
 
STOPBEFOREMARK = ‘lsn:0x00000025:000001d0:0001'
 
Step13:
As in above screenshot restore operation successfully completed so here we check that our deleted records are back in RecoverDeletedData_Copy Database:
 

USE RecoverDeletedData_Copy
GO
Select * from friends

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Figure10. Fetching records from RecoverDeletedData_Copy database
 
Wow!! we got all records back…
 
In this way we can recover deleted records for any database provided database is in FULL or BULK-LOGGED Recovery model.
 
4: Final Words:
So from the above explanation and steps it is very clear that how we can recover deleted rows if we deleted it accidentally. But before that we must have an idea about LSNs, transaction logs etc.
 
Have a great day and happy recovery :)