Why Is the Database in “In Recovery” Mode?

In this post I’m hoping to help you resolve issues if your SQL Server Database is stuck “in Recovery” Mode.

SQL Server enters recovery mode to ensure data integrity by:
> Analyzing Transactions: Identifies changes since the last checkpoint.
> Redoing Transactions: Reapplies committed changes not yet written to the database files.
> Undoing Transactions: Rolls back uncommitted transactions.

This process is automatic but can take time, especially with large databases or extensive transaction logs. However, sometimes we need to run some commands to help things along and recovery your db.

How to Resolve Database in Recovery Mode

1. Wait for Recovery to Complete
Recovery is often just a matter of time and waiting it out. Check the SQL Server Error Log for progress updates, such as:

Recovery of database 'DatabaseName' is 50% complete. Phase 2 of 3.

If recovery progress is visible, try avoid interrupting the process. You could try monitor recovery progress by checking currently running processes on the database.

2. Restore the Database
If recovery seems stuck or incomplete, manually restore the database using the following command:

-- recovery from database in recovery
RESTORE DATABASE [YourDatabaseName] WITH RECOVERY;

This command finalizes a recovery process. If you encounter issues, ensure no active connections are blocking the restore.

3. Set the Database Offline and Online

If recovery fails, try resetting the database state:

-- Set database offline
ALTER DATABASE [YourDatabaseName] SET OFFLINE WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE;

-- Set database online
ALTER DATABASE [YourDatabaseName] SET ONLINE;

Additional Resources

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve most issues with databases stuck in “In Recovery” mode (I hope). If the problem persists, consider checking for underlying causes, such as large transaction logs or excessive virtual log files (VLFs). You could also add a comment below and I’ll try assist!

Hope this was useful. For more details, check out the Microsoft Documentation: Restore and Recovery Overview (SQL Server)