Not able to shrink a data file

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SQL-Server-2012

Hi,

I'm using SQL server express edition in my official laptop ,I got a database of 35 GB from my team. when i try to restore in my laptop,It is not allow to restore more than 10 GB because it a express edition.

So, I installed SQL server standard edition trial version in my another laptop,then i restored there.

what i want to do is,i have to shrink the database size less than 10 GB ,then i have to restore in my official laptop

What I have tried:

I have tried to shrink my database ,the file sizes are below

.mdf : 19 GB<br />
.ldf : 15 GB

I removed some unnecessary tables,then i shrink-ed , It took around 3 hours to shrink the database.
After shrinking ,

.mdf 10.6 GB,<br />
.ldf 19 GB <br />

Again i tried to remove few tables ,truncated some large table data's and all.

but shrinking is not happening the .mdf size still in 10.6 GB. but no matter of removing log files,i want to shrink the data file mainly.

How can i do this?

Posted 24-Mar-16 23:19pm

King Fisher

Updated 24-Mar-16 23:46pm

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OriginalGriff · Answer 1 · 2016-03-24T23:46:00

Probably, you can't. If they original file is 35GB, then it's probably a database that's pretty full of data - and if the data occupies a lot of space, you can't shrink the file significantly without removing some of the data!

About the only way you are going to be able to do that without discarding data is to create two (or more) new databases and put half the data in one, and half in the other to get two smaller files. It complicates your application to use them, but it should let you get the files small enough to fit in SQL Express.
Or buy the full version of SQL Server! :laugh: