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Find-DbaOrphanedFile
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NAME Find-DbaOrphanedFile
SYNOPSIS
Find-DbaOrphanedFile finds orphaned database files. Orphaned database files are files not associated with any
attached database.
SYNTAX
Find-DbaOrphanedFile [-SqlInstance] <Sqlcollaborative.Dbatools.Parameter.DbaInstanceParameter[]> [[-SqlCredential]
<Pscredential>] [[-Path] <System.String[]>] [[-FileType] <System.String[]>] [-LocalOnly <Switch>] [-RemoteOnly
<Switch>] [-EnableException <Switch>] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
This command searches all directories associated with SQL database files for database files that are not currently
in use by the SQL Server instance.
By default, it looks for orphaned .mdf, .ldf and .ndf files in the root\\data directory, the default data path, the
default log path, the system paths and any directory in use by any attached directory.
You can specify additional filetypes using the -FileType parameter, and additional paths to search using the -Path
parameter.
PARAMETERS
-EnableException [<Switch>]
By default, when something goes wrong we try to catch it, interpret it and give you a friendly warning message.
This avoids overwhelming you with "sea of red" exceptions, but is inconvenient because it basically disables
advanced scripting.
Using this switch turns this "nice by default" feature off and enables you to catch exceptions with your own
try/catch.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-FileType [<System.String[]>]
Specifies file extensions other than mdf, ldf and ndf to search for. Do not include the dot (".") when
specifying the extension.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-LocalOnly [<Switch>]
If this switch is enabled, only local filenames will be returned. Using this switch with multiple servers is
not recommended since it does not return the associated server name.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Path [<System.String[]>]
Specifies one or more directories to search in addition to the default data and log directories.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-RemoteOnly [<Switch>]
If this switch is enabled, only remote filenames will be returned.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-SqlCredential [<Pscredential>]
Login to the target instance using alternative credentials. Accepts PowerShell credentials (Get-Credential).
Windows Authentication, SQL Server Authentication, Active Directory - Password, and Active Directory -
Integrated are all supported.
For MFA support, please use Connect-DbaInstance.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-SqlInstance [<Sqlcollaborative.Dbatools.Parameter.DbaInstanceParameter[]>]
The target SQL Server instance or instances. You must have sysadmin access and server version must be SQL
Server version 2000 or higher.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
<CommonParameters>
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see
about_CommonParameters (https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
NOTES
Tags: Orphan, Database, DatabaseFile
Author: Sander Stad (@sqlstad), sqlstad.nl
Website: https://dbatools.io
Copyright: (c) 2018 by dbatools, licensed under MIT
License: MIT https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
Requires: sysadmin access on SQL Servers
Thanks to Paul Randal's notes on FILESTREAM which can be found at
http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/paul/fil ... structure/
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sqlserver2014a
Connects to sqlserver2014a, authenticating with Windows credentials, and searches for orphaned files. Returns
server name, local filename, and unc path to file.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sqlserver2014a -SqlCredential $cred
Connects to sqlserver2014a, authenticating with SQL Server authentication, and searches for orphaned files.
Returns server name, local filename, and unc path to file.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 3 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sql2014 -Path 'E:\\Dir1', 'E:\\Dir2'
Finds the orphaned files in "E:\\Dir1" and "E:Dir2" in addition to the default directories.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 4 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sql2014 -LocalOnly
Returns only the local file paths for orphaned files.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 5 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sql2014 -RemoteOnly
Returns only the remote file path for orphaned files.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 6 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sql2014, sql2016 -FileType fsf, mld
Finds the orphaned ending with ".fsf" and ".mld" in addition to the default filetypes ".mdf", ".ldf", ".ndf" for
both the servers sql2014 and sql2016.
RELATED LINKS
https://dbatools.io/Find-DbaOrphanedFile
SYNOPSIS
Find-DbaOrphanedFile finds orphaned database files. Orphaned database files are files not associated with any
attached database.
SYNTAX
Find-DbaOrphanedFile [-SqlInstance] <Sqlcollaborative.Dbatools.Parameter.DbaInstanceParameter[]> [[-SqlCredential]
<Pscredential>] [[-Path] <System.String[]>] [[-FileType] <System.String[]>] [-LocalOnly <Switch>] [-RemoteOnly
<Switch>] [-EnableException <Switch>] [<CommonParameters>]
DESCRIPTION
This command searches all directories associated with SQL database files for database files that are not currently
in use by the SQL Server instance.
By default, it looks for orphaned .mdf, .ldf and .ndf files in the root\\data directory, the default data path, the
default log path, the system paths and any directory in use by any attached directory.
You can specify additional filetypes using the -FileType parameter, and additional paths to search using the -Path
parameter.
PARAMETERS
-EnableException [<Switch>]
By default, when something goes wrong we try to catch it, interpret it and give you a friendly warning message.
This avoids overwhelming you with "sea of red" exceptions, but is inconvenient because it basically disables
advanced scripting.
Using this switch turns this "nice by default" feature off and enables you to catch exceptions with your own
try/catch.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-FileType [<System.String[]>]
Specifies file extensions other than mdf, ldf and ndf to search for. Do not include the dot (".") when
specifying the extension.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-LocalOnly [<Switch>]
If this switch is enabled, only local filenames will be returned. Using this switch with multiple servers is
not recommended since it does not return the associated server name.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-Path [<System.String[]>]
Specifies one or more directories to search in addition to the default data and log directories.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-RemoteOnly [<Switch>]
If this switch is enabled, only remote filenames will be returned.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-SqlCredential [<Pscredential>]
Login to the target instance using alternative credentials. Accepts PowerShell credentials (Get-Credential).
Windows Authentication, SQL Server Authentication, Active Directory - Password, and Active Directory -
Integrated are all supported.
For MFA support, please use Connect-DbaInstance.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
-SqlInstance [<Sqlcollaborative.Dbatools.Parameter.DbaInstanceParameter[]>]
The target SQL Server instance or instances. You must have sysadmin access and server version must be SQL
Server version 2000 or higher.
Required? false
Position? named
Default value
Accept pipeline input? False
Accept wildcard characters? false
<CommonParameters>
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see
about_CommonParameters (https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
NOTES
Tags: Orphan, Database, DatabaseFile
Author: Sander Stad (@sqlstad), sqlstad.nl
Website: https://dbatools.io
Copyright: (c) 2018 by dbatools, licensed under MIT
License: MIT https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
Requires: sysadmin access on SQL Servers
Thanks to Paul Randal's notes on FILESTREAM which can be found at
http://www.sqlskills.com/blogs/paul/fil ... structure/
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sqlserver2014a
Connects to sqlserver2014a, authenticating with Windows credentials, and searches for orphaned files. Returns
server name, local filename, and unc path to file.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sqlserver2014a -SqlCredential $cred
Connects to sqlserver2014a, authenticating with SQL Server authentication, and searches for orphaned files.
Returns server name, local filename, and unc path to file.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 3 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sql2014 -Path 'E:\\Dir1', 'E:\\Dir2'
Finds the orphaned files in "E:\\Dir1" and "E:Dir2" in addition to the default directories.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 4 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sql2014 -LocalOnly
Returns only the local file paths for orphaned files.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 5 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sql2014 -RemoteOnly
Returns only the remote file path for orphaned files.
-------------------------- EXAMPLE 6 --------------------------
PS C:\\>Find-DbaOrphanedFile -SqlInstance sql2014, sql2016 -FileType fsf, mld
Finds the orphaned ending with ".fsf" and ".mld" in addition to the default filetypes ".mdf", ".ldf", ".ndf" for
both the servers sql2014 and sql2016.
RELATED LINKS
https://dbatools.io/Find-DbaOrphanedFile