Error Restoring SQL Database

I was in the process of building a virtual machine to do a test upgrade of Microsoft Dynamics GP for a client when I got this error message;

$Restore failed for Server. (Microsoft.SqlServe.SmoExtended) Additional information - System.Data.SqlClient.SqlError: Directory lookup for file "e:\SQL Server\Data\GPSGPNLDat.mdf" failed with the operating system error 3(failed to retrieve text for this error. Reason 15105). (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)$

I know things go wrong and I don’t mind error messages telling me that they have gone wrong; in fact, a good error with details is a good thing to see when there is a problem. But I do mind when the error message doesn’t actually tell me anything (one company I worked with produced error code 0 for every single error which everyone hated but it took about five years before the error handler got fixed to return the real error).

I did a little digging and it turned out to be a nice easy fix; when the VM was created the HDD space allocated hadn’t been big enough for the size of the databases being restored to it. I added a new (larger) virtual HDD to the VM and was able to restore the databases without further error.

About Ian Grieve

Ian is a Microsoft Dynamics GP certified consultant specialising in the delivery of Microsoft Dynamics GP projects and currently working for Perfect Image Ltd., a Microsoft Partner and VAR in the North East of England. Ian has worked with Microsoft Dynamics GP since 2003 and, over the nine years since, has dealt with all aspects of the product life-cycle from presales, to implementation, to technical and functional training, to post go-live support and subsequent upgrades and process reviews. In his spare time, Ian runs the azurecurve | Ramblings of a Dynamics GP Consultant blog dedicated to Microsoft Dynamics GP and related products.

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