SQL Server & Database Recovery — Corrupted, Deleted & Inaccessible Databases
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A corrupted or inaccessible database can halt business operations in seconds. Whether your SQL Server database is showing “suspect” mode, your MySQL tables are corrupted, your Oracle database crashed mid-transaction, or your Access database was accidentally deleted, The Original PC Doctor recovers data from all major database platforms — often within hours for critical business situations.
Unlike general file recovery, database recovery requires not just recovering the raw database files but also understanding the internal structure of each database engine to extract consistent, usable data — including relationships, stored procedures, views and transaction history where applicable. Our engineers work at the file level on damaged MDF, NDF, LDF, FRM and IBD files, independent of whether the database server is still running.
Database down? Call 1300 723 628 — emergency response, 24/7.
Database Platforms We Recover From
Database Failure Scenarios We Handle
- SQL Server database in “Suspect” or “Recovery Pending” mode — the database is marked as suspect due to I/O errors during startup. The data is still on the drive but SQL Server can’t read the database. We extract data at the MDF page level, bypassing SQL Server entirely.
- MDF file corrupted — “Cannot open database” or “Database is not accessible” — page-level corruption from bad sectors, power failures, or partial writes. We repair or work around corrupted pages to extract the maximum possible data.
- Transaction log (LDF) corruption or loss — the transaction log was deleted, corrupted, or grew to fill the disk, causing the database to go offline. We extract data directly from the MDF without needing log replay.
- SQL Server database accidentally deleted — MDF and NDF files deleted from the server. We recover the database files using standard file recovery techniques, then repair the database if needed.
- RAID failure on SQL Server storage — the underlying disk array hosting SQL Server databases has failed. We perform RAID reconstruction first, then database recovery from the recovered volumes.
- MySQL InnoDB corruption — “Table doesn’t exist in engine” — InnoDB storage engine corruption where the data dictionary is out of sync with the physical .ibd files. We extract tables individually using InnoDB direct file parsing.
- MySQL innodb_force_recovery won’t work past level 1 — severely corrupted InnoDB tables that even MySQL’s own force recovery modes can’t handle. We extract at the binary level, parsing InnoDB page structures directly.
- Database server hardware failure — physical server or drive failure with the database files on the failed storage. Physical recovery first, then database extraction.
- Ransomware encrypted database files — MDF, NDF, MYD, IBD files encrypted by ransomware. We assess for VSS shadows, backup remnants, and provide decryption + repair if the decryption key is available.
- Access database corrupted — “Unrecognised database format” or compact/repair fails — severely corrupted MDB or ACCDB files that Jet Engine’s built-in repair can’t handle. We extract tables from the raw file.
- PostgreSQL cluster corruption — checkpoint failure, WAL corruption — corrupted base backup, WAL segment gaps, or pg_wal directory damage. We recover individual tables and schemas from corrupted cluster directories.
- SQLite database corrupted — “database disk image is malformed” — common in application databases, browser profile databases and accounting software backends. We parse the SQLite B-tree structure directly to extract records.
SQL Server Recovery — Technical Detail
SQL Server databases consist of primary data files (MDF), secondary data files (NDF), and transaction log files (LDF). When SQL Server cannot access these files — due to corruption, hardware failure, or deletion — we bypass SQL Server entirely and work directly on the raw file contents:
- MDF page extraction — SQL Server stores data in 8KB pages. We scan the MDF file page-by-page and extract all readable data pages, even from severely corrupted files with large numbers of unreadable pages.
- Schema reconstruction — we extract table definitions, relationships, indexes and stored procedures from the system tables in the MDF, then reconstruct a working schema in a new database.
- Row-level data extraction — extracted data pages are parsed at the row level to reconstruct table data, including variable-length columns, NULL values, and LOB (large object) columns.
- Delivery format — recovered data can be delivered as SQL INSERT scripts, CSV exports, a restored SQL Server database backup (.bak file), or as a mounted SQL Server instance for direct client access.
Our Recovery Process
- Free phone or email assessment — describe the database platform, version, failure mode, and how business-critical the recovery is. We’ll give you an immediate diagnosis and price range. Call 1300 723 628.
- Remote or on-site assessment — for critical failures we can connect remotely to assess the database files directly, or dispatch to your premises. For physical drive failures, the storage device is sent or collected for imaging.
- Forensic file imaging — all database files are imaged before any extraction begins. We never work on originals.
- Database extraction — we extract tables, records, and schema from the damaged database files using platform-specific recovery tools and custom extraction code where required.
- Preview and fixed quote — for SQL Server and MySQL we provide a table row count summary or sample data preview before finalising the quote. You know exactly what’s recoverable before paying.
- Delivery — delivered as SQL backup, INSERT scripts, CSV, direct restore to new server, or cloud transfer depending on your preference.
Free Resources
Independent, non-commercial references:
Get your data back — free file list, free phone assessment. Talk to a specialist today.
✔ Free file list before you pay · ✔ Free phone assessment · ✔ ISO-5 Class 100 clean room · ✔ 20+ years experience
FAQs — SQL Server & Database Recovery
How much does database recovery cost?
SQL Server MDF recovery from a corrupted but accessible file typically starts at $800–$2,000 AUD. Cases involving physical drive failure underneath the database add the physical recovery cost. Large multi-database environments or complex Oracle/DB2 recovery are quoted on a project basis. MySQL and Access recovery typically starts at $400–$1,000. Call 1300 723 628 for an immediate assessment.
My SQL Server database is in “Suspect” mode — what does that mean?
SQL Server marks a database as “Suspect” when it encounters I/O errors during the recovery phase at startup — usually indicating bad sectors on the underlying storage, a corrupted data page, or a missing secondary data file. The database is online but inaccessible. Don’t attempt to detach or drop the database — call us first. We extract data directly from the MDF file, bypassing SQL Server’s recovery process entirely.
Can you recover specific tables rather than the entire database?
Yes. If only certain tables are corrupted or if you only need specific data (e.g. the Customers and Invoices tables from a crashed accounting database), we can target specific tables and deliver just that data. This is faster and cheaper than recovering an entire large database when only part of it is needed.
Our SQL Server ran out of disk space and the database is now offline — is it recoverable?
Yes — a database taken offline by disk-full conditions is typically in a clean state with all transactions either committed or rolled back. The main issue is usually transaction log autogrowth filling the disk, causing the database to suspend. We can shrink or detach the log, recover disk space, and bring the database back online, or extract the data to a new database on a server with adequate storage.
Can you recover data from an Access database that “compact and repair” can’t fix?
Yes. Microsoft’s built-in Compact and Repair tool is limited to fixing relatively minor corruption. For severely damaged MDB or ACCDB files — those showing “Unrecognised database format,” crashing on open, or where tables are missing — we parse the raw file structure using tools that work directly on the Jet/ACE database page structure, extracting table data even from partially overwritten or heavily corrupted files.
Call 1300 723 628 for free expert advice — or book online now.
