Kernel for SQL Database Recovery Tool

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The software recovers data from Microsoft SQL Server MDF and associated NDF files. It scans corrupted database files and previews recoverable tables, records, views, stored procedures, triggers, keys, indexes, and other supported objects. Tested on SQL databases larger than 900 GB, the software allows to save recovered data to a live SQL Server or as an SQL script.

Download the free demo to scan the database and preview all recoverable objects.

Recovers data from corrupt, inaccessible, and suspect MDF files.
Restores tables, records, views, keys, and other supported objects.
Recovers deleted, dropped, and truncated data.
Exports recovered data to SQL Server and SQL scripts.
Dual scan modes for SQL Database Recovery.
Scans and previews offline database files without connecting to SQL Server.

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When Do You Need SQL Database Recovery Tool?

Check out the common scenarios where the SQL database recovery tool helps you easily restore your Microsoft SQL Server database.

Database enters Recovery Pending mode

Easily recover a database even when the SQL Server enters the Recovery Pending mode, and it cannot start the recovery process because of missing, damaged, or inaccessible MDF database resources.

MDF file cannot be opened or attached

Extract database objects when you cannot open MDF file or fail to attach it to the Microsoft SQL Server.

Tables or records are accidentally deleted

Recover deleted records, dropped tables, and truncated data where the original data remains recoverable.

SQL Server Database Stuck in Suspect mode

Recover database objects when SQL Server marks the database as suspect and prevents normal access to data. Read more...

DBCC CHECKDB cannot repair the database

Use the tool to scan, preview, and save recoverable database objects when the native SQL database repair method fails.

Page/checksum validation error

Repair SQL database and recover database from checksum validation error caused by physical or logical corruption within the database file.

How to Repair and Recover a Corrupt SQL Server Database?

Follow the steps below to repair SQL database and recover corrupt MDF files using Kernel for SQL Database Recovery:

Step 1
Open the tool and click Browse to select the MDF file. Then, choose a recovery mode and click Restore. Step 2
Preview the recovered database objects. Then, select the objects for recovery and click Save. Step 3
Specify where to save the recovered data and click OK. Step 4
The tool starts saving the database objects.

Specify where to save the recovered data

SQL Recovery Software: Key Features and Capabilities

Our Kernel for SQL database recovery tool offers multiple features designed to perform SQL database repair and restore your SQL database efficiently.

Recover SQL Database Objects

The SQL recovery software helps to recover SQL database objects, including tables, views, triggers, primary keys, stored procedures, indexes, unique keys, foreign keys, default values, checks, rules, and other object types while preserving their structure and properties.

Recover Deleted and Dropped Data

Kernel MDF recovery tool allows restoring deleted records, dropped tables, and truncated table data where the affected information remains recoverable. Recovery results may depend on the extent of corruption and whether the deleted data has been overwritten.

Preserve Data Integrity Post-Recovery

The SQL database recovery tool preserves integrity of objects in the SQL database file after successful recovery. No table record or schema attribute is modified. Restores views, triggers, indexes, and stored procedures in their original hierarchy.

Recover Corrupt MDF Files

The tool supports data recovery from minor as well as severely corrupted MDF files. Repair SQL Server database after corruption, be it MDF header corruption, page-level corruption, or other system-level damage.

Restore Primary and Foreign Keys

The SQL recovery tool restores table keys, including primary and foreign keys, to new and existing databases. The software’s advanced algorithms store keys with their Unicode characters and make sure the relational database retains the original table connections.

Recover Files from BLOB Columns

Users can recover binary data stored in SQL Server table columns, including documents, images, and other large binary objects. This advanced SQL recovery tool recovers BLOB columns in tables from SQL Server after scanning the database.

Export Schema and Its Data to SQL Server

Export Schema and Data to SQL Server

The SQL data recovery tool will effortlessly recover the schema and the data within it to SQL Server. It lets you export the schema data of selected tables to SQL Server.

Fix Multiple SQL Server Database Issues

The SQL data file corruption recovery tool helps to resolve database issues like SQL database corrupted, database in Suspect Mode, recovery pending error, corrupt MDF header, accidentally deleted SQL records, native DBCC CHECKDB recovery method failed, SQL Server error 5171, and more. [

Save Recovered MDF to a Live SQL Server Database

Save Recovered MDF Files to a Live SQL Server Database

The software allows users to recover SQL database objects and save them directly to a live SQL Server database. Users can choose to export the data to an existing database or create a new database to store the data.

Recover and Save Specific Data

The software shows an organized preview of recoverable objects. This helps users to use the SQL database repair software to save specific database objects when complete MDF or NDF recovery is not needed.

Save Recovered Data as SQL Scripts

The SQL data recovery utility lets you save recovered database objects locally as SQL script files when direct export to SQL Server is not required. Users can restore the data later to live SQL Server instances by executing these SQL scripts.

Auto Detect the Database Version and Collation

Auto-Detect the Database Version & Collation

The software scans the database header and automatically identifies the SQL Server version and collation type of the MDF database file. Additionally, if required, the user can manually choose the appropriate version & collation of the database as per need.

Export Selected Tables to CSV

Kernel for SQL Database Recovery software allows you to select SQL tables and export the complete data to a CSV file. The CSV output retains table rows, columns, and recoverable values, but not SQL Server-specific elements such as indexes, keys, relationships, or triggers.

Preview Recovered Database Objects

Get a detailed view of the recoverable tables, records, views, stored procedures, triggers, and other supported objects before saving. The SQL recovery tool showcases up to 1,000 records per page, allowing users to select any table for a closer look at its records.

Unicode and Non-Unicode Recovery

The SQL Server recovery tool allows recovery of multilingual text and special characters in both Unicode and non-Unicode formats. This allows the tool to retain the exact text values during the MDF file recovery.

What Customers Say

Sandesh Segu, IN

Microsoft SQL database corruption can cause a lot of troubles due to the criticality of data present in database. Many SQL Server recovery tools are available that you can try to understand the features, and working.

David Clark, US

While moving my old database to a USB, the MDF file got corrupted due to a power failure. Kernel for SQL database recovery tool recovered all my tables with all the rows and columns intact.

Sarah Muller, US

I am a database administrator, and I needed a reliable tool that could handle small as well as massive corrupted databases. I tried this tool to repair a 650 GB database. The tool recovered all 100+ tables while preserving all the data types.

Mike Willey, AU

After failing to fix header corruption in my MDF file with DBCC CHECKDB, I tried the Kernel for SQL Database Recovery tool. This tool easily scanned the SQL file and allowed me to save the tables in my original live SQL Server database.

Lance Walter, FR

The best part for me is how good it is at recovering binary large objects while keeping the database schema intact. Using this tool, I have successfully recovered tables from more than 5 MDF files.

Common Reasons for SQL Server Database Corruption

A SQL database file can corrupt due to a number of reasons ranging from human negligence to hardware errors. The most common reasons for SQL Server database corruption are:

Memory or Cache-Related Issues

A system’s faulty RAM or storage cache can affect the data processed by SQL Server and may result in database consistency errors.

Storage Media Failure

For a SQL Server database stored locally on a Windows Server disk, bad sectors or file-system errors can make the MDF database inaccessible.

Driver, I/O, or Firmware Issues

Problems with device drivers, controllers, firmware, or disk caching can interrupt database read and write operations. Incomplete writes or stale reads may lead to database consistency errors.

Improper Handling of Database Files

Sometimes, moving, renaming, deleting, or modifying MDF, NDF, and LDF files without following the proper SQL Server procedure can make the database inaccessible or prevent it from attaching correctly.

Virus Attacks

Malware or ransomware can modify, encrypt, or delete SQL Server database files, making the database inaccessible. Antivirus software should also be configured correctly so that it does not lock active MDF, NDF, or LDF files while SQL Server is using them.

SQL Server or Third-Party Software Issues

Known SQL Server issues, outdated drivers, or incompatible third-party software may sometimes result in database consistency problems. Keeping SQL Server, device drivers, and related system components updated can help reduce this risk.

Unexpected System Shutdown

An unexpected shutdown does not always corrupt a SQL Server database because SQL Server uses the transaction log during recovery. However, corruption can occur when a power failure or system crash is combined with incomplete disk writes, faulty storage, or cache problems.

Failed Cumulative Updates

When a SQL Server cumulative update is interrupted abruptly, or a new service pack installation fails in the middle, it creates a metadata mismatch in the database. This causes database boot errors.

SQL Server Database Errors Associated with MDF Corruption

The SQL Repair tool is designed to recover data from corrupted or inaccessible MDF files affected by common file errors, like:

<FileName>.mdf is not a primary database file. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 5171)
The header for file '<FileName>.mdf' is not a valid database file header. The FILE SIZE property is incorrect. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 5172)
SQL Server detected a logical consistency-based I/O error: incorrect checksum. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 824)
Could not open File Control Bank (FCB) for invalid file ID <ID> in database '<DatabaseName>'. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 5180)

DBCC CHECKDB reported consistency errors in the database.
SQL Server detected a logical consistency-based I/O error: torn page. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 824)
SQL Server detected a logical consistency-based I/O error: incorrect page ID. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 824)
Database '<DatabaseName>' cannot be opened. It has been marked SUSPECT by recovery. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 926)

Frequently Asked Questions About SQL Recovery Tool

Here are some common queries related to the SQL Server recovery tool’s features, working procedure, and more.

Can I recover lost database objects after an SQL database corruption?

Yes, you can. SQL Recovery software allows you to restore SQL database from damaged MDF file, including deleted records, dropped tables, etc.

Does the tool require a Live SQL Server environment to recover MDF file objects?

No. You can recover corrupted MDF file without SQL Server. However, the SQL Recovery tool would require an SQL environment to save/export the recovered objects to a live SQL Server.

Does the tool need a SQL backup file or transaction logs for recovery?

No. The tool can recover SQL database without backup (.bak) file. Also, you do not need the database transactional log files (LDF) to recover corrupt MDF files.

Where to find MDF file in my system?

Location of MDF file:

Windows 11: C:\Program Files\ Microsoft SQL Server <SQL-SERVER-VERSION>\ MSSQL\DATA
Windows Server 2022: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL16.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA

After database recovery, where can I save the data?

The tool allows you to save the recovered data to a live SQL Server (new or existing database), SQL Scripts (run on any SQL Server instance), or to CSV files (only tables are saved in CSV).

I have a large database of 800 GB. Can your tool repair it?

Yes. The SQL Server repair tool supports massive-size MDF and NDF files and allows you to recover SQL database files without file size restrictions.

Can I get the deleted records back as well?

Yes, definitely. The SQL Server database recovery software integrates a separate option meant to be selected when the user wants to recover deleted records.

Please elaborate on the second saving option, i.e., SQL Script in this SQL recovery software.

The tool allows saving the recovered data into an SQL Script on your local system. You can run the scripts directly on any SQL Server instance to restore the data.

I had the SQL database files from SQL Server 2012. Can I save them in the latest SQL Server 2025?

The tool supports exporting recovered data to SQL Server 2012 through SQL Server 2025, subject to compatibility between the recovered database objects and the destination version.

How to run SQL Script in the SQL Server?

Here is the step-by-step process to run an SQL Script in the SQL Server:

Step 1: Open the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) tool.
Step 2: Connect to your database engine.
Step 3: Select the database where you want to run the script.
Step 4: In the menu bar, click File > Open and select the SQL script file.
Step 5: Click the Execute button in the menu bar to run the script.

Does the tool handle minor corruption and severely damaged MDF files differently?

Yes. The SQL recovery software provides two scanning modes, Standard and Advanced. Use the Standard mode to recover a database from minor corruption. Advanced Scan is focused on severely corrupted MDF file recovery. You can pick the mode based on how serious the corruption is.

I have a detached SQL database file, and I need to extract data from my customers' orders table. Can your tool extract specific tables?

Yes. You can add the detached MDF file and extract any specific table as per your need. You can even save the tables directly to CSV files to access them without a live SQL Server.

How can I upgrade the tool from the free evaluation version to the full version?

Follow these simple steps to upgrade your SQL recovery free evaluation version to the full version.

In the tool, click on the Buy Online icon. Then, select and buy the required license.
You will get activation details at the email address you provided while buying the license.
In the tool, go to Help > Activate product and enter the activation credentials to upgrade to the full version.

What customers say about Kernel for SQL Database Recovery

(4.9/5) 508 Reviews

Complete SQL Database Recovery

I had a severely damaged MDF file and needed to restore the complete database without losing records. The Kernel for SQL Database Recovery bypassed the corruption and restored all my tables with the original schema.

Tawnya Falkner