sql server crashes when restoring a DB

Question

sql server crashes when restoring a DB

Domouchtsis, Petros 0

We recently installed sql server 2025 on a linux machine. While trying to restore a DB previously taken from a sql server 2016 system, the new sql server 2025 always crashes.

Domouchtsis, Petros 0 Reputation points

2026-03-04T20:04:01.68+00:00

this is the restore cmd that we used:

RESTORE DATABASE [TEST_DB] FROM DISK = N'/var/opt/mssql/backup/TEST_DB.bak' WITH FILE = 1, MOVE N'TEST_DB' TO N'/var/opt/mssql/data/TEST_DB.mdf', MOVE N'TEST_DB_log' TO N'/var/opt/mssql/data/TEST_DB_log.ldf', NOUNLOAD, REPLACE, STATS = 5
Viorel 126.9K Reputation points

2026-03-04T20:06:11.77+00:00

Does it crash silently?
Erland Sommarskog 133.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-03-04T22:56:27.3333333+00:00

That sounds bad. Is it only this particular database? What happens if you create a new database on SQL 2016 and try to restore it on SQL Server 2025?

Do you also have a Windows machine with SQL Server that you could test this on?

When you say that SQL Server crashes, do you mean that SQL Server crashes entirely?

I'm asking these questions to get a better understanding of the situation.
Akhil Gajavelly 1,820 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-06T04:10:58.9666667+00:00

Hi @Domouchtsis, Petros ,

Hi, just following up were you able to try the suggested checks (FILELISTONLY, MOVE options, and testing on another environment)?

If the issue is still occurring, could you please share the error log from /var/opt/mssql/log/errorlog? That will help identify whether it’s a backup issue or something specific to the Linux setup.

Thanks,
Akhil.
Akhil Gajavelly 1,820 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-13T05:04:13.1766667+00:00

Hi @Domouchtsis, Petros ,

Were you able to try the suggested steps like running FILELISTONLY, using the MOVE options during restore, or testing the backup on another environment?

If you’re still facing the issue, please share the error log from /var/opt/mssql/log/errorlog. That will help us determine whether it’s related to the backup itself or something specific to the Linux setup.

If everything is working fine now, feel free to confirm so we can close this thread. Otherwise, we’re happy to continue helping

Thanks,
Akhil.

Answer recommended by moderator

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Your answer

Domouchtsis, Petros 0 Reputation points

2026-03-04T20:04:01.68+00:00

this is the restore cmd that we used:

RESTORE DATABASE [TEST_DB] FROM DISK = N'/var/opt/mssql/backup/TEST_DB.bak' WITH FILE = 1, MOVE N'TEST_DB' TO N'/var/opt/mssql/data/TEST_DB.mdf', MOVE N'TEST_DB_log' TO N'/var/opt/mssql/data/TEST_DB_log.ldf', NOUNLOAD, REPLACE, STATS = 5
Viorel 126.9K Reputation points

2026-03-04T20:06:11.77+00:00

Does it crash silently?
Erland Sommarskog 133.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-03-04T22:56:27.3333333+00:00

That sounds bad. Is it only this particular database? What happens if you create a new database on SQL 2016 and try to restore it on SQL Server 2025?

Do you also have a Windows machine with SQL Server that you could test this on?

When you say that SQL Server crashes, do you mean that SQL Server crashes entirely?

I'm asking these questions to get a better understanding of the situation.
Akhil Gajavelly 1,820 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-06T04:10:58.9666667+00:00

Hi @Domouchtsis, Petros ,

Hi, just following up were you able to try the suggested checks (FILELISTONLY, MOVE options, and testing on another environment)?

If the issue is still occurring, could you please share the error log from /var/opt/mssql/log/errorlog? That will help identify whether it’s a backup issue or something specific to the Linux setup.

Thanks,
Akhil.
Akhil Gajavelly 1,820 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-13T05:04:13.1766667+00:00

Hi @Domouchtsis, Petros ,

Were you able to try the suggested steps like running FILELISTONLY, using the MOVE options during restore, or testing the backup on another environment?

If you’re still facing the issue, please share the error log from /var/opt/mssql/log/errorlog. That will help us determine whether it’s related to the backup itself or something specific to the Linux setup.

If everything is working fine now, feel free to confirm so we can close this thread. Otherwise, we’re happy to continue helping

Thanks,
Akhil.

Answer 1

Hi @Domouchtsis, Petros ,

This shouldn’t happen restore may fail, but SQL Server should not crash.

Try these key checks:

Validate logical files (RESTORE FILELISTONLY)

FROM DISK = '/var/opt/mssql/backup/TEST_DB.bak';

Ensure you have MOVE for all files (not just MDF/LDF).

Isolate the issue

Restore the same backup on SQL Server 2025 (Windows) / 2019/2022
Or restore a different backup on Linux

Helps confirm if it’s backup-specific or Linux issue

Check logs

/var/opt/mssql/log/errorlog

Important If it still crashes, this is not expected → likely Linux limitation or product bug

In that case, collect logs and raise a Microsoft support ticket.

Thanks,
Akhil.

Answer 2

Use the following checks and steps, focusing on restore-specific issues for SQL Server on Linux and cross-version restores from Windows:

Verify that the backup is supported on Linux
- SQL Server 2014 databases that use In-Memory OLTP cannot be restored directly to SQL Server on Linux. They must first be upgraded on Windows, then moved.
- If the SQL Server 2016 source database uses In-Memory OLTP and was originally created on SQL Server 2014 with In-Memory OLTP, this limitation can still apply. In that case, upgrade the database on a supported Windows instance first, then back up and restore that upgraded database to Linux.
Always use WITH MOVE when restoring from Windows to Linux
- When restoring a database that was backed up on Windows to SQL Server on Linux, the WITH MOVE clause is required to redirect file paths to Linux locations. Omitting it can cause restore failures.
- Use RESTORE FILELISTONLY first to see all logical file names in the backup:
```
     RESTORE FILELISTONLY FROM DISK = '/var/opt/mssql/backup/YourDB.bak';
     GO
```
- Then restore with explicit MOVE clauses for all data and log files, pointing them to valid Linux paths, for example:
```
     RESTORE DATABASE YourDB FROM DISK = '/var/opt/mssql/backup/YourDB.bak'
         WITH MOVE 'YourDB'     TO '/var/opt/mssql/data/YourDB.mdf',
              MOVE 'YourDB_Log' TO '/var/opt/mssql/data/YourDB_Log.ldf';
     GO
```
- If RESTORE FILELISTONLY shows additional secondary data files, add a MOVE for each one.
Confirm SQL Server 2025 on Linux prerequisites and platform
- Ensure the Linux distribution is supported for SQL Server 2025 (17.x). SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is not supported for SQL Server 2025; if using SLES, the recommendation is to back up the databases and restore them to a supported distribution.
- Confirm that the instance is SQL Server 2025 on Linux and that system requirements are met before running the restore.
Check for known Linux database issues
- Be aware that some TLS cipher suites and TDE-compressed backup combinations can cause restore problems on Linux. If using TDE-compressed backups from SQL Server 2019 CU16+ or specific TLS configurations, validate that the target SQL Server and OS configuration match the documented supported combinations.
If the instance crashes repeatedly during restore
- Investigate whether the database uses features that are not supported or restricted on Linux (for example, certain In-Memory OLTP scenarios or problematic TLS cipher suites).
- If the crash is consistent with a specific backup, test restoring the same backup on a Windows SQL Server 2025 instance. If it succeeds there but crashes on Linux, this strongly suggests a Linux-specific limitation or bug; in that case, open a support case with Microsoft and provide the backup, error logs, and stack dumps.
Basic restore verification after success
- After a successful restore, verify the database is online:
```
     SELECT name FROM sys.databases;
     GO
```
- Then switch context and run basic queries to confirm data integrity:
```
     USE YourDB;
     GO
     SELECT TOP (100) * FROM sys.tables;
     GO
```

If the restore still crashes the instance after applying WITH MOVE correctly and confirming platform support, collect SQL Server error logs and Linux system logs around the crash and escalate to Microsoft Support, as repeated engine crashes during restore typically indicate a product defect or an unsupported feature combination.

References:

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sql server crashes when restoring a DB

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