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Resolve errors received when restoring a database in SQL Server

I am trying to restore a database, but I keep getting the following error:

Server: Msg 3201, Level 16, State 2, Line 1
Cannot open backup device 'D:mssqlbackupMYPalma.bak'. Device error or device off-line. See the SQL Server error log for more details.
Server: Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
RESTORE DATABASE is terminating abnormally.

The log file displays the following error:

2005-12-11 14:19:58.26 spid102 BackupDiskFile::OpenMedia: Backup device 'd:radhapalmaMYPalma.bak' failed to open. Operating system error = 2(The system cannot find the file specified.).
2005-12-11 14:21:30.31 spid102 BackupDiskFile::OpenMedia: Backup device 'c:palmaMYPalma.bak' failed to open. Operating system error = 2(The system cannot find the file specified.).
2005-12-11 14:36:19.37 spid102 BackupDiskFile::OpenMedia: Backup device 'd:radhaMYPalma.bak' failed to open. Operating system error = 2(The system cannot find the file specified.).

However, I have restored many databases and I recall something like this working just fine:

restore database Try_Palma from disk = 'D:mssqlbackupMYPalma.bak'

Now, it's just not working. What could be the problem?

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Make sure you have the path correct and that the SQL Server service account has the proper privileges to open the file you are specifying. A simple task would be to run the following command to make sure you can see the file in the operating system:

Xp_cmdshell 'dir D:mssqlbackupMYPalma.bak'

This should return the results if the file exists. Also, the D: and C: parameters without the backslash will probably have you searching in the system folders on the server. So just check to make sure you have the correct path for the backup files.

This was first published in December 2005

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