Question

I am getting an error using SQL Server 2012 when restoring a backup made with a previous version (SQL Server 2008). I actually have several backup files of the same database (taken at different times in the past). The newest ones are restored without any problems; however, one of them gives the following error:

System.Data.SqlClient.SqlError: Directory lookup for the file
“C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT SQL
SERVER\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\DATA\MYDB_ABC.MDF” failed with the operating
system error 3(The system cannot find the path specified.).
(Microsoft.SqlServer.SmoExtended)

This is a x64 machine, and my database file(s) are in this location: c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL.

I do not understand why it tries to restore on MSSQL.1 and not MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER.

Answer 1

I have managed to do this from code. This was not enough

Restore bkp = new Restore();
bkp.PercentCompleteNotification = 1;
bkp.Action = RestoreActionType.Database;
bkp.Database = sDatabase;
bkp.ReplaceDatabase = true;

The RelocateFiles property must be filled with the names and paths of the files to be relocated. For each file you must specify the name of the file and the new physical path. So what I did was looking at the PrimaryFilePath of the database I was restoring to, and use that as the physical location. Something like this:

if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(sDataFileName) && !File.Exists(sDataFileName))
{
   if (originaldb != null)
   {
      if (string.Compare(Path.GetDirectoryName(sDataFileName), originaldb.PrimaryFilePath, true) != 0)
      {
         string sPhysicalDataFileName = Path.Combine(originaldb.PrimaryFilePath, sDatabase + ".MDF");
         bkp.RelocateFiles.Add(new RelocateFile(sLogicalDataFileName, sPhysicalDataFileName));
      }                  
   }
}

Same for the log file.