How do you kill all current connections to a SQL S

Question

I want to rename a database, but keep getting the error that 'couldn't get exclusive lock' on the database, which implies there is some connection(s) still active.

How can I kill all the connections to the database so that I can rename it?

Answer 1

Script to accomplish this, replace 'DB_NAME' with the database to kill all connections to:

USE master
GO

SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE @DBName varchar(50)
DECLARE @spidstr varchar(8000)
DECLARE @ConnKilled smallint
SET @ConnKilled=0
SET @spidstr = ''

Set @DBName = 'DB_NAME'
IF db_id(@DBName) < 4
BEGIN
PRINT 'Connections to system databases cannot be killed'
RETURN
END
SELECT @spidstr=coalesce(@spidstr,',' )+'kill '+convert(varchar, spid)+ '; '
FROM master..sysprocesses WHERE dbid=db_id(@DBName)

IF LEN(@spidstr) > 0
BEGIN
EXEC(@spidstr)
SELECT @ConnKilled = COUNT(1)
FROM master..sysprocesses WHERE dbid=db_id(@DBName)
END

Answer 2

These didn't work for me (SQL2008 Enterprise), I also couldn't see any running processes or users connected to the DB. Restarting the server (Right click on Sql Server in Management Studio and pick Restart) allowed me to restore the DB.

Answer 3

Kill it, and kill it with fire:

USE master
go

DECLARE @dbname sysname
SET @dbname = 'yourdbname'

DECLARE @spid int
SELECT @spid = min(spid) from master.dbo.sysprocesses where dbid = db_id(@dbname)
WHILE @spid IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
EXECUTE ('KILL ' + @spid)
SELECT @spid = min(spid) from master.dbo.sysprocesses where dbid = db_id(@dbname) AND spid > @spid
END

Answer 4

The option working for me in this scenario is as follows:

1. Start the "Detach" operation on the database in question. This wil open a window (in SQL 2005) displaying the active connections that prevents actions on the DB.
2. Kill the active connections, cancel the detach-operation.
3. The database should now be available for restoring.

Answer 5

Another "kill it with fire" approach is to just restart the MSSQLSERVER service. I like to do stuff from the commandline. Pasting this exactly into CMD will do it: NET STOP MSSQLSERVER & NET START MSSQLSERVER

Or open "services.msc" and find "SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER)" and right-click, select "restart".

This will "for sure, for sure" kill ALL connections to ALL databases running on that instance.

(I like this better than many approaches that change and change back the configuration on the server/database)

Answer 6

Take offline takes a while and sometimes I experience some problems with that..

Most solid way in my opinion:

Detach Right click DB -> Tasks -> Detach... check "Drop Connections" Ok

Reattach Right click Databases -> Attach.. Add... -> select your database, and change the Attach As column to your desired database name. Ok