Can't restore database: A transport-level error has occurred when receiving results from the server

Question

This is not a good day for me. I have a backup (master.bak) for SQL Server 2005 Express SP4 (v.9.0.500) that I want to restore to my master db instance. I am running SQL Server in single-user mode (sqlservr.exe -m), connect to the instance, then I do a Task... Restore. This is the error I get:

TITLE: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express

Restore failed for Server 'GINO\SQLEXPRESS'. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Express.Smo)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&ProdVer=9.00.2047.00&EvtSrc=Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.ExceptionTemplates.FailedOperationExceptionText&EvtID=Restore+Server&LinkId=20476

------------------------------ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Failed to retrieve data for this request. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Express.SmoEnum)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&LinkId=20476

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An exception occurred while executing a Transact-SQL statement or batch. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Express.ConnectionInfo)

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A transport-level error has occurred when receiving results from the server. (provider: Shared Memory Provider, error: 0 - The pipe has been ended.) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 109)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=109&LinkId=20476

Please help me restore my backup database so that I can continue along with my business!

Answer 1

Use SQLCMD instead of Management studio to do the restore and try this. (Since you are using a named instance make sure to use the -S switch for SQLCMD)

C:\> SQLCMD -S GINO\SQLEXPRESS
> RESTORE DATABASE master FROM DISK='C:\SQLBackups\master.bak' WITH REPLACE;
> GO

Obviously replacing the path to your backup with the real path of where your backup is.

Have a look here for (slightly) more information.