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title Delete a Database | Microsoft Docs
ms.custom
ms.date 03/14/2017
ms.prod sql-server-2016
ms.reviewer
ms.suite
ms.technology
database-engine
ms.tgt_pltfrm
ms.topic article
helpviewer_keywords
database removal [SQL Server], SQL Server Management Studio
removing databases
deleting databases
dropping databases
databases [SQL Server], dropping
database removal [SQL Server]
ms.assetid 1fd8c0f5-03e1-449a-af45-b8cacb479d9c
caps.latest.revision 31
author BYHAM
ms.author rickbyh
manager jhubbard

Delete a Database

This topic describes how to delete a user-defined database in [!INCLUDEssManStudioFull] in [!INCLUDEssCurrent] by using [!INCLUDEssManStudioFull] or [!INCLUDEtsql].

In This Topic

Before You Begin

Limitations and Restrictions

  • System databases cannot be deleted.

Prerequisites

  • Delete any database snapshots that exist on the database. For more information, see Drop a Database Snapshot (Transact-SQL).

  • If the database is involved in log shipping, remove log shipping.

  • If the database is published for transactional replication, or published or subscribed to merge replication, remove replication from the database.

Recommendations

  • Consider taking a full backup of the database. A deleted database can be re-created only by restoring a backup.

Security

Permissions

To execute DROP DATABASE, at a minimum, a user must have CONTROL permission on the database.

Using SQL Server Management Studio

To delete a database

  1. In Object Explorer, connect to an instance of the [!INCLUDEssDEnoversion], and then expand that instance.

  2. Expand Databases, right-click the database to delete, and then click Delete.

  3. Confirm the correct database is selected, and then click OK.

Using Transact-SQL

To delete a database

  1. Connect to the [!INCLUDEssDE].

  2. From the Standard bar, click New Query.

  3. Copy and paste the following example into the query window and click Execute. The example removes the Sales and NewSales databases.

USE master ;  
GO  
DROP DATABASE Sales, NewSales ;  
GO

Follow Up: After deleting a database

Back up the master database. If master must be restored, any database that has been deleted since the last backup of master will still have references in the system catalog views and may cause error messages to be raised.

See Also

CREATE DATABASE (SQL Server Transact-SQL)
ALTER DATABASE (Transact-SQL)