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What is SQL Server Object Level Restore? An Ultimate Guide

👤 Andrew Jackson | Published: May 13th, 2025 | SQL | 8 Minutes Reading

When working in an SQL Server environment, it is quite common for users to face database corruption or server corruption that requires SQL Server object level restore. But that’s not the only case. Sometimes, the users come across challenges like corruption in database objects. An example can be a user accidentally dropping a certain stored procedure, or deleting any other object from the database, and now they need to restore that specific object.

Restoring the entire database after a corruption can be easier, but when it comes to restoring individual objects, it is where things get complex. To help the users who have encountered this situation, we are here with this article. This write-up will not only help you to understand the issue better, but will also provide you with the solution to resolve this problem. 

But as we said earlier, this situation is not that common among users, so before jumping to the solutions, let’s take a look at what causes this object level corruption for better understanding of the issue. 

What is Object Level Corruption?

The object-level corruption in the SQL Server is caused when not the entire database, but a specific database object, such as tables, views, stored procedures, etc. gets damaged or becomes inaccessible. There can be various reasons that may lead to the object corruption. Here are some of the causes of object-level corruption, and the users might need a SQL Server object level restore.

  • System Crashes 
  • System crashes can be caused by improper shutdowns. The improper shutdowns can also lead to database object corruption by disrupting the ongoing writing process and further damaging the object due to the incomplete transaction.
  • Software Issues 
  • Software issues like bugs in the SQL Server may also impact the ongoing transactions or the functioning of the database and can lead to the database object corruption.
  • Hardware Failures
  • Another reason for the object level corruption in a database can be hardware issues. Faulty disks, storage devices, or damaged hard drives can also lead to object corruption in the SQL Server database and might require SQL Server object level restore. 
  • Abrupt Shutdowns
  • When a server encounters abrupt shutdown or power loss during the writing process, there are high possibilities that the objects may not be properly written and the sudden power loss may end up in corrupting the database objects.  

All these causes can somehow affect or lead to database object corruption. When a database object gets corrupted, there are a few signs that can be seen by the user to analyze the corruption and further find solutions to recover the corrupted objects. Let’s take a look at what these symptoms are.

Symptoms of Corrupted Database Objects

The following signs can be seen by a user while they are working on the SQL Server. If the user encounters any of these, they must inspect their database for corruption and work on SQL Server object level restore, before it causes any further damage to the entire database. The signs are:

  • Error Message Display
  • Performance Issues while Working
  • Inaccessible Database Objects
  • DBCC CHECKDB Command Results

When a database or the database object will be corrupted, a user will encounter these symptoms in their database. After understanding the causes and the symptoms of the object level corruption in a database, let’s move to the solutions that can be implemented for SQL Server object level restore.

Also Read: How to implement table level recovery for selected SQL Server tables effectively?

How to Repair Object Level Corruption?

There are various ways that can be used to recover corrupted objects in a database. We will discuss the methods one by one. Beginning with the first method, that is, by using the DBCC CHECKDB Command. 

Inspect and Repair Using the DBCC CHECKDB Command

The DBCC CHECKDB command is primarily used to check and repair corruption in the database. We can use this method to inspect the cause of corruption or the corrupted object and work accordingly for SQL Server object level restore. The working of this method is explained below.

  1. The first step in using this method is to run the DBCC command to check for corruption.  Type the command
    DBCC CHECKDB (‘databasename’) WITH NO_INFOMSGS, ALL_ERRORMSGS;
    This command will report the cause of corruption with the corrupted database object.
  2. Once the error is known, the user can select the repair option based on the error. The repair options are REPAIR_REBUILD and REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS. Before using the repair command, set the database to single user mode to avoid any interference during the SQL Server object level restore process. Enter the command
    ALTER DATABASE ABC SET SINGLE_USER; (change ABC to your respective database name
  3. Now, use the repair command as follows:
    DBCC CHECKDB(‘ABC’, REPAIR_REBUILD);
    This command can help in repairing minor corruption in the database.
  4. For severe corruption, you can use the REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS command. Enter the command as
    DBCC CHECKDB(‘ABC’, REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS);
  5. After the repair is done, set the database to multi-user mode by using
    ALTER DATABASE ABC SET MULTI_USER;

By following these steps the user can repair their corrupted database objects but there are some drawbacks of using this method that can possibly create some concerns for the users. 

For one, this method requires good technical knowledge to understand and then run the commands, but when it comes to severe corruption, the method might not be helpful. 

The major drawback of using this method can be data loss. To repair the database using this method, the user may end up losing their crucial data during the process. 

SQL Server Object Level Restore Using the Backup

This method requires the backup of the database. So if the user has the backup of their corrupted database, they can easily restore the database objects in SQL Server. For this method, we will be using the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

To understand the method better, let’s take a look at how it works. 

  1. Open SSMS and connect it to the SQL Server Instance.
  2. In software, right-click on the object explorer and then go to the database. 
  3. Next, go to the Restore Database option and select the device option under the Source and click on the ellipsis icon […] to browse the backup file.
  4. From the Specify Backup window, click on the Add button to add the backup file.
  5. A locate backup file window will open, select and open the backup file of the corrupted database. The backup file will be loaded in the restore database window.
  6. Now add the database name under the destination section to proceed with SQL Server object level restore. 
  7. From the Select a Page section, go to options and click on the ‘take tail-log backup before restore’. Click on the OK button once these steps are completed. 
  8. When the restoration success window will pop-up, click on the OK button.

These steps are less complex than the DBCC method, but the major necessity of this solution is that the user must have the backup of their database in order to restore them. In case the user doesn’t have a backup, this method will not be much helpful. 

So how can we overcome this challenge then? Let’s move to the next method to check if the solution can overcome the challenges and resolve this issue.  

SQL Server Object Level Restore Using a Professional Tool

After going through the manual solutions, we have now realized that those methods could help to repair the corruption but there were certain drawbacks that can further create challenges during the process. So to overcome those challenges, and to repair and restore the data in a more professional and simple way, we now recommend the SQL Database Recovery tool.

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How about we understand the working of the tool first and then discuss how it is a better solution?

Starting with the steps to follow:

  1. Install and run the professional tool. Click on the Open button to add the MDF file in the software. 
  2. Choose one scanning mode based on your requirements.
  3. After the Scanning will be done, the database components will be displayed  for preview in the Software Panel. 
  4. Preview them, and click on the Export button. Select the SQL Server Database as the Export option and enter the required details in the export settings window. 
  5. Select the database objects to be exported and choose export schema with data option. Click on Export Button to initiate the export process. 

This is one of the simplest and user-friendly solutions for restoring the corrupted SQL Database objects. Using this method, a user can not only repair and recover the entire database, but also export the recovered data into their desired SQL Server Database. 

Conclusion

With the help of this article, we learned about how a user can encounter database object corruption and why they need to learn SQL Server object level restore. Along with the causes of the corruption, we have also discussed the manual methods of this problem and how the methods had some drawbacks to create further issues during the process. We have recommended a professional solution that will help the users with restoring the corrupted database objects more professionally.