If the SQL Server database is accessible, you can use SSMS's Generate Scripts option to copy the database structure—tables, views, stored procedures, indexes, constraints, and other objects—without transferring the actual records.
However, if the source database is corrupted or the MDF/NDF files are inaccessible, standard SSMS methods may not work. In such cases, SysTools SQL Database Recovery Tool can scan the database files, preview recoverable database objects, and copy SQL schema from one database to another using its schema-only recovery option.
This is particularly useful when you need to recreate the database structure from a damaged SQL Server database.
You can create a schema-only database copy in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) by scripting the database structure and running that script against a new, empty database.
The result includes definitions for objects such as tables, views, and stored procedures, but not the rows in the tables. Before relying on the copy, check whether you also need database users, permissions, or other objects the wizard may not cover for your setup. Server-level logins, SQL Server Agent jobs, and linked servers are managed separately from the database schema.
For a repeatable process, save the schema-only script for selected objects and review it before running it on the target, especially if that database already contains objects with the same names.
If your SQL Server database is working normally, you can use SSMS to generate a schema-only script and run it on the destination database. This copies the structure without transferring the actual records.
If the database is corrupted or its MDF/NDF files cannot be opened, the standard method may not work. In that case, Softaken SQL Recovery may help recover the database schema from the damaged files. It supports previewing recoverable objects, selecting schema for recovery and exporting recovered objects as SQL scripts or to a new database.
So, for a healthy database, SSMS is the simpler option. Using a tool is more relevant when corruption prevents you from retrieving the schema normally.