How to restore an IRIS database without a SQL backup

Introduction

You may find yourself in a situation where you do not have an IRIS backup. If you have a copy of your SQL data files then you may still be able to restore your IRIS database. (Please read fully before proceeding).

To do this you will first need to locate the SQL database files on your old computer.

By default these can be found in:

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data (XP) or

• C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.IRISPRACTICE\MSSQL\DATA (Windows 7)

1. Locate the SQL data files – these have a file extension of .MDF and .LDF (for example IRIS.MDF and IRIS _LDF)

2. Copy these files into the following location on the new PC:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.IRISPRACTICE\MSSQL\DATA

3. This is the location for the SQL installation and may not be exactly as shown. You will find that there are some files of the same name already there, please cut and paste these files to a separate location.

Once, the files are in place:

4. Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft SQL Server (2005 or 2008 R2), SQL Server Management Studio

5. Select the IRIS instance in the Server Name box and click Connect.

• The naming convention for this can include variations such as PCNAME\SQLEXPRESS and may not always appear as the example below.

6. This opens the SQL Server Management Console.

7. Right-click on the Databases folder and select Attach.

8. From the Attach Databases window, click Add.

9. Browse to C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.IRISPRACTICE\MSSQL\DATA and select the IRIS.mdf file.

10. In the Attach Databases screen click OK.

11. You will now see the IRIS database listed under the Databases folder.

12. To complete the process please refer to How to Recreate the IRIS Logins After A Database Restore