Why was my Free MS SQL database deleted? (And how to restore it)
To ensure fair resource distribution and remove unused resources, our system runs automated checks on Free MS SQL databases. We monitor internal metadata for usage statistics, specifically looking for active SELECT, UPDATE, or DELETE queries.
If a database shows no activity for 30 days, the database instance is flagged as inactive and automatically removed from the server.
The Good News: Your Data is Safe
Even though the database instance is removed, your data is usually recoverable for two reasons:
- Persistent Storage: The associated Backup Storage folder is not deleted when the database is removed.
- Automatic Backups: Our system performs automatic daily backups of every database and saves them to your backup storage.
This means that unless you manually deleted the files, a recent backup of your database still exists in your storage account.
How to Restore Your Data
To recover your data, you simply need to create a new empty database and populate it using the automatic backup file from your old storage location.
- Create a New Database
- Log in to the control panel.
- Create a new database (you can use a Free package or a Paid package).
- Note: The new database does not need to have the same name as the deleted one.
- Navigate to Restore
- Go to the properties of your newly created database.
- Click on the Restore tab.
- Select the Old Source
- Click on Restore from backup location.
- In the dialog box, look for the Backup location or website folder dropdown menu.
- Select the backup location associated with your deleted database. (Our system allows you to access storage from any of your previous or current databases).
- Execute
- Select the most recent automatic backup file (usually named with a timestamp) from the list.
- Click RESTORE.
Once the process is complete, your data will be restored and accessible via the new database.