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title: "sp_dbremove (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
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# sp_dbremove (Transact-SQL)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

  Removes a database and all files associated with that database.  
  
> [!IMPORTANT]  
>  [!INCLUDE[ssNoteDepFutureAvoid](../../includes/ssnotedepfutureavoid-md.md)] We recommend that you use [DROP DATABASE](../../t-sql/statements/drop-database-transact-sql.md) instead.  
  
||  
|-|  
|**Applies to**: [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] ([!INCLUDE[ssKatmai](../../includes/sskatmai-md.md)] through [current version](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=299658)).|  
  
 ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
  
sp_dbremove [ @dbname = ] 'database' [ , [ @dropdev = ] 'dropdev' ]   
```  
  
## Arguments  
 [ **@dbname=** ] **'***database***'**  
 Is the name of the database to be removed. *database* is **sysname**, with a default value of NULL.  
  
 [ **@dropdev=** ] **'***dropdev***'**  
 Is a flag provided for backward compatibility only and is currently ignored. *dropdev* has the value **dropdev**.  
  
## Return Code Values  
 0 (success) or 1 (failure)  
  
## Result Sets  
 None  
  
## Permissions  
 Requires membership in the **sysadmin** fixed server role.  
  
## Examples  
 The following example removes a database named `sales` and all files associated with it.  
  
```  
EXEC sp_dbremove sales;  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [ALTER DATABASE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/alter-database-transact-sql.md)   
 [CREATE DATABASE (SQL Server Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/create-database-sql-server-transact-sql.md)   
 [DBCC (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/database-console-commands/dbcc-transact-sql.md)   
 [sp_detach_db (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-detach-db-transact-sql.md)