---
title: "How to open a SQL Server .bak file (Not restoring!)"  
description: "How to open a SQL Server .bak file (Not restoring!)"  
author: "Anonymous User"  
published: 2015-09-05  
updated: 2015-09-05  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/33443/how-to-open-a-sql-server-bak-file-not-restoring  
category: "mssql server"  
tags: ["mssql server"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# How to open a SQL Server .bak file (Not restoring!)

I have been [reading](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/126273/books-commonly-found-on-college-reading-lists) a LOT of [google](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/43833/google-lighthouse-and-how-is-it-changing-the-way-we-development-and-design-websites) posts and StackOverflow [questions](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/124895/hp-hpe0-s54-cheat-sheet-exam-questions-bank-for-guaranteed-success) about how to [restore](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/1480/ways-to-restore-ecosystems-and-heal-the-planet) a [database in SQL](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/158348/how-do-you-create-a-new-database-in-sql-server) [Server](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/43769/what-is-serverless-architecture-is-it-worth-switching-over) from a .bak file.\
But none of them [states](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/1549/top-indian-states-with-muslim-population) how to just READ the tables in the database-backup. (None that I could find anyway?)\
I just want to check out some old information which now has been [deleted](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/160487/how-to-remove-the-deleted-git-code-marker-in-scrollbar-in-visual-studio-2022), without actually restoring the full database. Is this possible?

## Replies

### Reply by Anonymous User

From [SQL Server](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12999/what-is-table-valued-function-in-sql-server) 2008 SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio), simply:\
1.Connect to your [database](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12226/use-of-database-in-sencha-extjs-and-insert-record-from-user-form-using-ajax) instance (for example, "localhost\sqlexpress")2.Either: a) Select the database you want to restore to; or, alternatively b) Just create a new, empty database to restore to.\
3.Right-click, Tasks, Restore, Database\
4.Device, [...], Add, Browse to your .bak file5.Select the backup.Choose "overwrite=Y" under options.Restore the database\
6.It should say "100% complete", and your database should be on-line.\
PS: Again, I emphasize: you can easily do this on a "scratch database" - you do not need to overwrite your current database. But you do need to RESTORE.\
PPS: You can also accomplish the same thing with T-SQL commands, if you wished to script it.


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/33443/how-to-open-a-sql-server-bak-file-not-restoring

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