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MichaelBalackFlag for Singapore

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SQL Restoration failed, why ?

This is using a MS Windows 2008 with MS SQL 2008 R2, as a production DB server. Another server, using MS Windows 2003 with MS SQL 2008 R2, act as a DC and standby DB server. There is an important DB - ABC, is running in production, and a backup was scheduled to run every night. The backup was ran successfully.

Now, we want to verify that the standby server can be promoted as a production server when this original db production server is down. So, we did a test, by copy one of the *.bak file to this server, and select "restore Db", and follow the procedure. However, attempt to restore failed with following error:

 ITLE: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
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An exception occurred while executing a Transact-SQL statement or batch. (Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo)

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The media family on device 'C:\TradarBE_backup_2014_03_20_000039_0605782.bak' is incorrectly formed. SQL Server cannot process this media family.
RESTORE HEADERONLY is terminating abnormally. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 3241)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&ProdVer=09.00.1399&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=3241&LinkId=20476

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BUTTONS:

Please advise
Avatar of Guy Hengel [angelIII / a3]
Guy Hengel [angelIII / a3]
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please confirm that you checked that the .bak file was properly copied, and if you did a FTP, was not transferred using ANSI, but BINARY mode...

other than that, the reason could be that the backup was configured to write to several files, and not just one.
you may want to try with a new, fresh, dedicated backup file
Also, make sure the SQL Service Packs and Patches/Hotfixes/etc. are at exactly the same level on both servers.  (Technically I guess the machine on which you restore could be a later version, but definitely not an earlier version.)
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ASKER

Hi ScottPletcher,

Will check it.
Hi ScottPletcher,

You are right. Production server is using MS SQL 2008 R2 w/SP 2 (10.50.4000.0), while the standby server is using MS SQL 2005 RTM (9.00.1399.06). So, does this means that I have to upgrade the standby server with MS SQL 2008 R2 w/SP2? BTW, can I upgrade directly?
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Scott Pletcher
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