A Jr. DBA’s SQL Server service would not start: Error 14001, the application’s side-by-side configuration is not correct. Here is how we found the cause.
SQL Server emergency? Email pinal@sqlauthority.com with URGENT in the subject line.
SQL SERVER – FIX: Msg 3231 – The Media Loaded on “Backup” is Formatted to Support 1 Media Families, but 2 Media Families are Expected According to the Backup Device Specification
Preparing a demo, I hit Msg 3231: media formatted for 1 media family, but 2 Media Families are expected. Here is what causes it and how to fix it.
SQL SERVER – How to Download SQL Server Native Client?
A client asked how to download SQL Server Native Client. My tip: search for the SQL Server Feature Pack, which includes the Native Client drivers.
How to Find SQL Server Deprecated Features Used by the Application? – Interview Question of the Week #165
Is your application using deprecated features that a future SQL Server may remove? Here is how SQL Server helps you find them, starting with a Profiler event.
Identify SQL Server Version From a Backup File
To identify SQL Server version from a backup file, run RESTORE HEADERONLY and read DatabaseVersion and SoftwareVersionMajor. This post makes a demo backup, reads its header, and maps the numbers to products. It also shows how to compare the backup with your server in T-SQL, and why a header sometimes fails to read on an older server.
Temporary Stored Procedures in SQL Server: Local and Global
Temporary stored procedures start with one # sign for a local one and two for a global one, and both live in tempdb. This post creates each kind on a demo database, shows who can call them and when they disappear, and explains which database their object names resolve in. It ends with the habit that makes them useful for testing a rewrite.
Query Store Read-Only: Size Limits That Stop Capture
Your Query Store may want READ_WRITE and still be READ_ONLY. Here is how it happens, how to read the reason, and how to get capture back.
SQL Server slow? Let's fix it together in about four hours.
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You keep every script, and the know-how to fix it yourself next time.
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Who We Are
Pinal Dave is an SQL Server Performance Tuning Expert and independent consultant with over 24 years of hands-on experience. He holds a Masters of Science degree and numerous database certifications.
Pinal has authored 19 books and 125 Pluralsight courses. To freely share his knowledge and help others build their expertise, Pinal has also written more than 5,800 database tech articles on his blog at https://blog.sqlauthority.com.
Pinal is also a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1) and CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2).
Nupur Dave is a social media enthusiast and an independent consultant. She primarily focuses on the database domain, helping clients build short and long-term multi-channel campaigns to drive leads for their sales pipeline.
Shaivi Pinalkumar Dave is a book author and a women’s artistic gymnast.

