Can't attach northwind database to sql server 2008 R2

Question

When I try to I get the following error in SQL Server Management Studio:

TITLE: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

Attach database failed for Server 'AHAKEEM'. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

An exception occurred while executing a Transact-SQL statement or batch. (Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo)

Unable to open the physical file "C:\SQL Server 2000 Sample Databases\northwnd.mdf". Operating system error 5: "5(failed to retrieve text for this error. Reason: 15105)". (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 5120)

This is a fresh version of Northwinds mdf which just came from Microsoft's installer.

Fantasy

This looks like it's a similar problem as yours: misleading error message while attaching the file – Piscatelli

Answer 1

Error 5120 is a sharing violation on the file you're opening. Try starting SQL Management Studio as Administrator and make sure that the db isn't attached already.

Lincolnlincolnshire

Answer 2

The error occurs when the mdf or ldf file is missing, if its an ldf we can recreate the same using the below listed scripts:

Method 1: To recreate all the log files

EXECUTE sp_attach_single_file_db @dbname = 'SAMPLEDB',
@physname = N'D:\MSSQL\DATA\SAMPLEDB.mdf' 
GO

Method 2: If one or more log files are missing, they are recreated again.

CREATE DATABASE SAMPLEDB ON
(FILENAME = N'D:\MSSQL\DATA\SAMPLEDB.mdf')
FOR ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG
GO 

Method 3: If only one file is missing, they are recreated again.

CREATE DATABASE SAMPLEDB ON
( FILENAME = N'D:\MSSQL\DATA\SAMPLEDB.mdf')
FOR ATTACH
GO

Brusa

Please fix formatting, and also avoid to answer questions older than a year, it is pointless. – Proprietary

Answer 3

I tried to install Northwind and pubs Sample Databases for SQL Server 2000 and attach both databases in SQL Server 2014, and gave me an error because they were compatible version.

These are the steps to successful install the Sample Database in your SQL Server 2014:

1. After you download the Sample Databases in your PC, then open SQL Server 2014 Management Studio. After successful connection, your SQL Server instance should be listed in the Object Explorer.
2. Now under File Menu select Open > File. Find the instnwnd.sql in your computer and select it. Click Open SQL script should open in the main window. Do not click on Execute yet. If you do, you will get the following error:

Could not find stored procedure ‘sp_dboption’.

• Around the line 20, remove the following two lines:

exec sp_dboption 'Northwind','trunc. log on chkpt.','true' exec sp_dboption 'Northwind','select into/bulkcopy','true'

• Replace them with this line as shown below:

alter database Northwind set recovery simple

To attach 'pubs' database, repeat the step 2 above and this time open instpubs.sql file. Replace the sp_dboption as you did before with:

alter database Pubs set recovery simple

• All that is left is to execute the script, so click on Execute in both scripts.

Note: the folder location for your sample database by default is "C:\SQL Server 2000 Sample Databases"

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