opening my clients DB locally

My client has given me a DB file (.MDF) and I need to open it in order to export it to the remote DB.
In Enterprise Manager I go to 'New Database' - create a new DB and click on the 'Data' tab to browse to my clients file. Enterprise Manager recognises the file and everything seems hunky dory. but the resulting DB seems to have no tables.
The DB file is 1600K and has some stored procedures but if I try to export the tables there is nothing. His ASP files refer to tables in the SQL as you would expect.
Am I missing something? it's the weekend so he is not available and I don't want to look tooo stupid!look sp_attach_single_file_db up in sql server books online.|||Am I missing something? it's the weekend so he is not available and I don't want to look tooo stupid!It is always good to not look too stupid to a client... That kinda throws them off their feed for a bit. ;)

As Thrasymachus pointed out, you could use sp_attach_single_file_db (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/tsqlref/ts_sp_ae-az_4wrm.asp), but carefully read the restrictions caused by not having the log file... Under certain circumstances, that can be a major problem.

-PatP

open up .mdf and .ldf file types

I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company does
not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
PaulYou could grab the 120-day trial edition from here
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/evaluation/trial/default.asp, and use that if
this is only a temporary need. The database format is proprietary and I'm
not aware of any software that will read them for you outside of SQL Server.
--
Sincerely,
Stephen Dybing
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroups only, thanks.
"NeedSimpleHelp" <NeedSimpleHelp@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EE5D20CA-BF43-4B76-AC85-F0014B71431E@.microsoft.com...
>I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
> databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company
> does
> not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
> havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
> Paul|||You could also use MSDE. It comes free with MS Office but you have to
install it seperately and it will only handle database up to 2 GB or less.
Take a look for the MSDE folder on the MS Office distribution CD.
Sincerely,
Anthony Thomas
"NeedSimpleHelp" <NeedSimpleHelp@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EE5D20CA-BF43-4B76-AC85-F0014B71431E@.microsoft.com...
I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company
does
not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
Paul|||I didn't recommend MSDE because it doesn't come with a GUI interface. If
someone isn't use to working with SQL Server, that can be a drawback. :-)
--
Sincerely,
Stephen Dybing
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroups only, thanks.
"AnthonyThomas" <Anthony.Thomas@.CommerceBank.com> wrote in message
news:e$pnccS3EHA.3716@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> You could also use MSDE. It comes free with MS Office but you have to
> install it seperately and it will only handle database up to 2 GB or less.
> Take a look for the MSDE folder on the MS Office distribution CD.
> Sincerely,
>
> Anthony Thomas
>
> --
> "NeedSimpleHelp" <NeedSimpleHelp@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> message
> news:EE5D20CA-BF43-4B76-AC85-F0014B71431E@.microsoft.com...
> I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
> databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company
> does
> not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
> havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
> Paul
>|||Ah, but it does if they are pulling MSDE from the Office CDs: MS Access
projects!
:-)
Sincerely,
Anthony Thomas
"Stephen Dybing [MSFT]" <stephd@.online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:41b72452$1@.news.microsoft.com...
I didn't recommend MSDE because it doesn't come with a GUI interface. If
someone isn't use to working with SQL Server, that can be a drawback. :-)
--
Sincerely,
Stephen Dybing
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroups only, thanks.
"AnthonyThomas" <Anthony.Thomas@.CommerceBank.com> wrote in message
news:e$pnccS3EHA.3716@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> You could also use MSDE. It comes free with MS Office but you have to
> install it seperately and it will only handle database up to 2 GB or less.
> Take a look for the MSDE folder on the MS Office distribution CD.
> Sincerely,
>
> Anthony Thomas
>
> --
> "NeedSimpleHelp" <NeedSimpleHelp@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> message
> news:EE5D20CA-BF43-4B76-AC85-F0014B71431E@.microsoft.com...
> I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
> databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company
> does
> not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
> havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
> Paul
>

open up .mdf and .ldf file types

I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company does
not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
Paul
You could grab the 120-day trial edition from here
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/evaluat...l/default.asp, and use that if
this is only a temporary need. The database format is proprietary and I'm
not aware of any software that will read them for you outside of SQL Server.
Sincerely,
Stephen Dybing
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroups only, thanks.
"NeedSimpleHelp" <NeedSimpleHelp@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EE5D20CA-BF43-4B76-AC85-F0014B71431E@.microsoft.com...
>I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
> databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company
> does
> not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
> havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
> Paul
|||You could also use MSDE. It comes free with MS Office but you have to
install it seperately and it will only handle database up to 2 GB or less.
Take a look for the MSDE folder on the MS Office distribution CD.
Sincerely,
Anthony Thomas

"NeedSimpleHelp" <NeedSimpleHelp@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EE5D20CA-BF43-4B76-AC85-F0014B71431E@.microsoft.com...
I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company
does
not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
Paul
|||I didn't recommend MSDE because it doesn't come with a GUI interface. If
someone isn't use to working with SQL Server, that can be a drawback. :-)
Sincerely,
Stephen Dybing
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroups only, thanks.
"AnthonyThomas" <Anthony.Thomas@.CommerceBank.com> wrote in message
news:e$pnccS3EHA.3716@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> You could also use MSDE. It comes free with MS Office but you have to
> install it seperately and it will only handle database up to 2 GB or less.
> Take a look for the MSDE folder on the MS Office distribution CD.
> Sincerely,
>
> Anthony Thomas
>
> --
> "NeedSimpleHelp" <NeedSimpleHelp@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> message
> news:EE5D20CA-BF43-4B76-AC85-F0014B71431E@.microsoft.com...
> I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
> databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company
> does
> not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
> havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
> Paul
>
|||Ah, but it does if they are pulling MSDE from the Office CDs: MS Access
projects!
:-)
Sincerely,
Anthony Thomas

"Stephen Dybing [MSFT]" <stephd@.online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:41b72452$1@.news.microsoft.com...
I didn't recommend MSDE because it doesn't come with a GUI interface. If
someone isn't use to working with SQL Server, that can be a drawback. :-)
Sincerely,
Stephen Dybing
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please reply to the newsgroups only, thanks.
"AnthonyThomas" <Anthony.Thomas@.CommerceBank.com> wrote in message
news:e$pnccS3EHA.3716@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> You could also use MSDE. It comes free with MS Office but you have to
> install it seperately and it will only handle database up to 2 GB or less.
> Take a look for the MSDE folder on the MS Office distribution CD.
> Sincerely,
>
> Anthony Thomas
>
> --
> "NeedSimpleHelp" <NeedSimpleHelp@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> message
> news:EE5D20CA-BF43-4B76-AC85-F0014B71431E@.microsoft.com...
> I have a couple of these file types and i need to open them to look at the
> databses. These were sent to me form a different company and my company
> does
> not have ms sql server. Is there any way i can open these files with out
> havign to buy any product. All i need to do is look at them nothign else.
> Paul
>

open mdf files w/out sql server

I am trying to assist a client who had a sql server app on a computer that crashed. All that is left is the MDF files.
Is there anyway to open/ export these files without having SQL server?No, but assuming that the MDF and LDF files are small (less than 2 Gb), you could install MSDE 2000 or SQL Express 2005, either of which are available at no charge and would allow you to at least read the files.

Beware, an MDF by itself is a dangerous thing... Be very careful that you understand what you are doing, since it is very easy to get the wrong answer quickly when you're only playing with half a deck... The MDF and LDF files form a working pair in SQL Server. It is dangerous to work with just one of them.

-PatP

open MDF file without MSDE

Hello,
I'm trying to access .mdf file (a sql server database) without having
SQL Server installed on the machine (neither MSDE).
It can be done from any programming language (like Java or C#)?
Is there anyone who knows how can I do it?
Or does a native library that can access the .mdf file exist?

Thank to anyone who can help me...

Pietro.Pietro wrote:
> Hello,
> I'm trying to access .mdf file (a sql server database) without having
> SQL Server installed on the machine (neither MSDE).
> It can be done from any programming language (like Java or C#)?
> Is there anyone who knows how can I do it?
> Or does a native library that can access the .mdf file exist?
> Thank to anyone who can help me...
> Pietro.

You can read it as a binary file of course but the only supported
method to get at SQL Server's logical data and metadata structures
(tables etc) is to use the SQL Server engine. Microsoft doesn't publish
detailed specs for the file format.

--
David Portas, SQL Server MVP

Whenever possible please post enough code to reproduce your problem.
Including CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements usually helps.
State what version of SQL Server you are using and specify the content
of any error messages.

SQL Server Books Online:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/library/...US,SQL.90).aspx
--

Open a MDF file withMicrosoft SQL Server Management Studio Express9.00.1399.00

It works fine and I see the system tables and can make my own tables.

But how do I open a standalone MDF file with it? Or maybe it is a restriction ?

I am trying to get to the database for my personal start kit.

Hi,

For Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express 9.00.1399.00 question, you

post their questions to one of the appropriate SQL Server forums at:

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/default.aspx?ForumGroupID=19&SiteID=1

Or depend on what you plan to do, you can also use VS/VWD IDE to connect to the database as well.

Thanks,

Lan

|||

or you can attached it manually at command prompt:

>SQLCMD -S (local)\sqlexpress -E

> select physical_name from sys.database_files where name = 'master'

> go

> exec sp_attach_db @.dbname=N'aspnetdb', @.filename1=N'[physical path]\aspnetdb.mdf'

> go

it should show up in your Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express after you attached it.

Hope that helps,

Lan