asked on

Shrink my database

Database refuse to releast it's bloeted space to NTFS
My mdf file showa 600mb even after I try to scrink it. How do I scrink the database. I am expecting the "mdf" size to be under 100mb with the command below.

Thanks

dbcc shrinkfile (shop_data,76800)

--DbId FileId CurrentSize MinimumSize UsedPages EstimatedPages
--494 1 76744 128 76736 76736

mayank_joshi

try:-

USE [database_name]
GO
DBCC SHRINKDATABASE('database_name' )
GO

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mayank_joshi

if you want to shrink only mdf file you may try:-

USE [database_name]
GO
DBCC SHRINKFILE ('logical_name_of_mdf_file'  , 3)
GO

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where 3 MB is the default minimum limit for mdf file.
by default 'logical_name_of_mdf_file' is same as 'database_name'.

mayank_joshi

if you want to shrink your database regularly then
on Database Properties-->Options set Auto Shrink=True.

Ruffone

ASKER

That does nothing. I am becomming convinced that 600mb is the solid size of this database dispite what is in the table

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

ThakurVinay

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Ruffone

ASKER

I would, but that is almost the max that my host will allow on the server that I share

Daniel_PL

You should never ever shrink your databases, only in rare cases poeople do that - in case of sending database to another department and db size is too big to restore it to other location. As I said it's verry rare.
I wouldn't suggest you shrinking database regularly - it's a crime ;)

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlserverstorageengine/archive/2006/06/13/629059.aspx
http://www.straightpathsql.com/archives/2009/01/dont-touch-that-shrink-button/
http://blog.sqlauthority.com/2010/08/12/sql-server-shrinkdatabase-for-every-database-in-the-sql-server/

Take care,
Daniel

Daniel_PL

Can you take backups of your database and store them in other location?
Maybe you can change data types in tables to store smaller rows etc. etc.
You could taking backups and then truncating tables, it depends on your vision.

OP_Zaharin

reason not to overuse shrink is that it increase fragmentation of the index and may lead to file system level fragmentation as well.

if you have specified 600MB during the creation of the database, it will not get smaller even if you use shrink. if the database grows to 800MB, by using shrink it will only be reduced to 600MB.

Ruffone

ASKER

This database has seen every server since SQL 7.0. I usually just attach it to the new server. Who knows what that might have done to it over the years. So I am copping all the data into a new database and redoing the indexes. and doing some testing before I upload it to the host. Right now the new database is less than half the size of the old one. I am a bit surprised so I will have to test all the applications to be sure I am not missing anything. It is a process