Backup failed for Server, The media is formatted to support 2 media families Error

Question

Can any body tel me how to overcome this error when taking a backup in SQL Server 2008 Express?

Backup failed for Server '\SQLEXPRESS'.  (Microsoft.SqlServer.SmoExtended)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&ProdVer=10.50.1447.4+((KJ_RTM).100213-0103+)&EvtSrc=Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.ExceptionTemplates.FailedOperationExceptionText&EvtID=Backup+Server&LinkId=20476

System.Data.SqlClient.SqlError: The media loaded on "D:\Project 2014\PayrollBackup" is formatted to support 2 media families, but 1 media families are expected according to the backup device specification. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&ProdVer=10.50.1447.4+((KJ_RTM).100213-0103+)&LinkId=20476

I just want to take a single backup of my database. But always I have to give two destinations and then when restoring I cant restore the database using a single backup file? Is there anything to configure in SSMS? If any, could you please clearly explain?

EDIT:

BACKUP DATABASE [Payroll] TO  DISK = N'D:\Project 2014\PayrollBackup' WITH NOFORMAT, NOINIT,  NAME = N'Payroll-Full Database Backup', SKIP, NOREWIND, NOUNLOAD,  STATS = 10
GO

Inverter

Can you post the tsql of your backup statement? – Ander

Answer 1

The backup statement is using the NOINIT clause. This causes each successive backup to append to the existing backup file. You are attempting to backup to one media set (one file), but it appears the existing backup you are attempting to append to consisted of two media sets (two files).

For a quick turnaround, specify a new filename: BACKUP DATABASE [Payroll] TO DISK = N'D:\Project 2014\<insert new filename>' WITH ...

Ander

Answer 2

A simple solution has arisen (via SSMS), based on the answer of @DMason and answer of @Carol Baker West.

Just create a new media set for a single media family.

Sheepshanks

Answer 3

The issue for me was there were two sources in the Destination.

After you backup with only one destination, removing the other. You don't get the error anymore.

Let me know if this helps!

Tuberculin

In my case I had a backup already generated with two destinations, in order to work with a single destination I had to remove the old splitted backup (as stated here: https://mcmap.net/q/479320/-backup-failed-for-server-the-media-is-formatted-to-support-2-media-families-error) – Marozik

Answer 4

I also received the error. In my case, I wanted to specify a different location to which the file should be backed up to. But what it was trying to do, was to now split the backup to both files in both locations - thus the part of the error:

is formatted to support 1 media families, but 2 media families are expected according to the backup device specification. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)

So, remove one of the destinations specified in the 'Destination' section of the Back Up Database wizard. It should only have one destination if it only backed up to one file previously.

Murry

Answer 5

I got the same error with my project, so I did a couple of simple things:

1. Copied my old MyDB.bak file from the default backup path, say C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL14.SQLEXPRESS\MSSQL\Backup
2. Removed it from there
3. Backed up new version of DB to the same path. (It now succeeded)
4. Copied the newly created backup to desired place.

Castigate

Answer 6

When I was attempting to restore a backup onto another server, I got the same error that you got.

I was able to get past this error by deleting the "Backup Device" object and recreating a new one. As you know, the Backup Device is an object that saves a path to your backup folder and to the backup file. Apparently, it also saves other information like the media family.

In the SSMS interface, expand the Server Objects section, and then the Backup Devices section. Find the named backup device for the database and path that you are getting the error on. Delete that object and recreate it. That should take care of the issue.

Now, just so we are clear, I'm NOT talking about deleting the backup itself. I'm NOT talking about deleting or removing any drives. I'm NOT talking about deleting all of the backup devices listed on your server. I'm simply talking about deleting the backup device (which is an object) for one database on your server.

Slavey

This answer would be more useful with some guidance to access the appropriate page. I'm looking for the devices, but I find none listed where I'm looking, so I don't know if I'm looking in the wrong place, or if I have none in the system. – Lapful

Answer 7

I received this message when I was adding a database to Always On Group and log backup failed with this message:

'The Backup cannot be performed because the existing media set is formatted with an incompatible version'

Problem: I was using the same backup shared folder as I was using two servers with multiple instances. Database was promoted from SQL Server 2008 R2 to SQL Server 2016. I did not delete the old 2008 R2 backups from that shared folder.

Solution: Try and clear out the old version backups and try again. It worked for me.

Karynkaryo