Startup Options

Default SQL Server startup options are stored in the Windows NT Registry. These startup options are used as defaults whenever SQL Server is started, whether it is started as a service or from the command line. Use SQL Enterprise Manager to change the default startup options. (For details, see the Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Companion.)

You can start SQL Server using the following options (which will not affect the default settings in the Registry):

-c

Shortens startup time by starting SQL Server independent of the Windows NT Service Control Manager.

-dmaster_device_ path

Indicates the fully qualified path for the MASTER database device (typically, C:\SQL60\DATA\MASTER.DAT). If you do not provide this option, the existing Registry parameters are used.

-eerror_log_ path

Indicates the fully qualified path for the error log file (typically, C:\SQL60\LOG\ERRORLOG). If you do not provide this option, the existing Registry parameters are used.

-f

Starts SQL Server in minimal configuration. Useful if the setting of a configuration value (for example, over-committing memory) has prevented the server from starting. For more information, see Starting SQL Server with Minimal Configuration.

Under some conditions it may be necessary to stop the SQL Executive service (if it is running) in order to connect to SQL Server after it has been started with the -f option.

-m

Starts SQL Server in single-user mode. When you start SQL Server in single-user mode, only a single user can connect, and the CHECKPOINT mechanism, which guarantees that completed transactions are regularly written from the disk cache to the database device, is not started. (Typically, this option is used if you experience problems with system databases that need to be repaired.)

Under some conditions it may be necessary to stop the SQL Executive service (if it is running) in order to connect to SQL Server after it has been started with the -m option.

-n

Does not use the Windows NT event log to log SQL Server events. If you start SQL Server with the -n option, it is advisable to also use the -e option, or SQL Server events will not be logged.

-pprecision_level

Specifies the maximum level of precision to be supported by decimal and numeric datatypes. By default, SQL Server has a maximum precision of 28. The acceptable values for precision_level are from 1 to 38; however, if no precision_level is supplied with the -p parameter, a maximum precision of 38 will be allowed for decimal and numeric datatypes.

-rmaster_mirror

Indicates the fully qualified path for the device used to mirror the MASTER database device. Use this option when starting SQL Server if the MASTER database device is damaged. (SQL Server always attempts to use the primary device specified by the -d option before it uses the mirror device specified by the -r option.)

-sregistry_key

Starts SQL Server using an alternate set of startup parameters stored in the Registry under the key registry_key. This option, which can be run only from the command line, lets you select from multiple previously defined startup configurations. You could, for example, create an alternate Registry key to start SQL Server in single-user mode. (This applies only to the SERVER subkey.)

/Ttrace#

Indicates that SQL Server should be started with a specified trace flag (trace#) in effect. Trace flags are used to start the server with non-standard behavior. For a list of available trace flags (trace#), see the Microsoft SQL Server Transact-SQL Reference.

Important When specifying a trace flag, use /T to pass the trace flag number. A lowercase t (/t) is accepted by SQL Server, but it sets other internal trace flags that are needed only by SQL Server support engineers.

-x

Disables the keeping of CPU time and cache-hit ratio statistics. Allows maximum performance.