Starting SQL Server with Minimal Configuration

The -f startup option enables you to start the server with minimal configuration. The -f option is useful if the setting of a configuration value (for example, over-committing memory) has prevented the server from starting.

Note Use the minimal configuration option only for correcting configuration problems (when the server will not start because a configuration value is set to an unacceptable value). It should not be used as the standard way of starting the server.

When you start SQL Server using the minimal configuration option:

• Temporary changes in memory usage are affected. User connections, open databases, locks, open objects, language information in cache, and asynchronous I/O are all set to the minimum values shown by sp_configure. The procedure cache is set to 50 percent, with minimal total procedure and buffer cache.
• SQL Server starts in single-user mode (the equivalent of the -m option). 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.
• Remote access is disabled.
• Read-ahead is disabled.
• Tempdb_in_ram (an sp_configure parameter) is set to 2 MB.
• Autoexec procedures are not run.

Once the server has been started with the minimal configuration option, you will likely want to do one or more of the following:

• Change sp_configure values and reconfigure
• Create a new disk device with DISK INIT
• Make a device a default device using sp_diskdefault

    To start SQL Server with minimal configuration from a command prompt

• Type:

  sqlservr -f

    To start SQL Server with minimal configuration and independent of the Windows NT Service Control Manager

• From a command prompt, type:

  sqlservr -c -f

    To start the server with minimal configuration, using the Services application in the Control Panel

1. Open the Control Panel and start the Services application.
2. From the list of services, select SQL Server.
3. In the Startup Parameters box, type -f.
4. Choose the Start button.

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