21

on SQL Server 2005, we do a weekly full backup with nightly incremental backups.

I want to know if it is possible to restore a single table from a backup, either to the source database or a different one.

I can not find any clear answer online.

Thanks in advance.

bobs
  • 381
  • 6
  • 16
GWR
  • 2,847
  • 9
  • 35
  • 42

3 Answers3

15

You can't restore a single table directly from your backup to a database.

You could restore your complete backup to new database and then copy your table from there to the desired database.

bobs
  • 381
  • 6
  • 16
5

You can also try some of the 3rd party tools that allow you to attach database backups and work with them as with live databases. You can try SQL Virtual Restore from Red Gate or ApexSQL Restore from ApexSQL or SQL Virtual Database from Idera.

All of these are commercial tools but you can find fully functional trials to get the job done. Additional benefit of all of these is that they require very little additional space unlike standard backup restore.

Sorry for the lack of links to all tools but I can't post more than one link due to low reputation :)

Mark Davidson
  • 261
  • 1
  • 4
4

There is another method, but a little more complex. If your single table is getting very large, copy it onto a filegroup. Then use File & Filegroups backup to restore the single table.

See also : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms177425.aspx

Rajiv Rajan
  • 123
  • 3