Starting SQL Server Manually
You can start an instance of Microsoft® SQL Server™ manually using the following methods.
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| SQL Server Enterprise Manager | Start, pause, continue, and stop an instance of a local or remote SQL Server or the SQL Server Agent service in the same window in which you administer other servers and databases. |
| SQL Server Service Manager | Start, pause, continue, and stop an instance of a local or remote SQL Server or the SQL Server Agent service. |
| Services application in Control Panel | Start, pause, continue, and stop an instance of SQL Server or the SQL Server Agent service on the local server. |
| Command prompt | Start an instance of SQL Server or the SQL Server Agent service from a command prompt by typing: net start mssqlserver or sqlservr, or net start SQLServerAgent or by running SQLSERVR.EXE. If you are referring to a named instance of SQL Server, you must specify mssql$instancename or SQLAgent$instancename. |
Before you choose a startup method, consider the following:
- If you start an instance of SQL Server using sqlservr from a command prompt (independent of the Service Control Manager):
- All system messages appear in the window used to start an instance of SQL Server.
- You cannot pause, stop, or resume an instance of SQL Server as a Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 service using SQL Server Enterprise Manager, SQL Server Service Manager, the Services application in Control Panel, or any net commands (for example, net start, net pause, net stop, and net continue).
- You must shut down an instance of SQL Server before logging off Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000.
- All system messages appear in the window used to start an instance of SQL Server.
- If you start an instance of SQL Server from a command prompt:
- Any command prompt options that you type take precedence over the default command prompt options written to the Windows 2000 registry by SQL Server Setup.
- SQL Server Service Manager and SQL Server Enterprise Manager show the service as stopped.
- Any command prompt options that you type take precedence over the default command prompt options written to the Windows 2000 registry by SQL Server Setup.
- You can log off the Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 network without shutting down an instance of SQL Server.
To start the default instance of SQL Server