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Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, Restart the Database Engine, SQL Server Agent, or SQL Server Browser Service

  • Article

This topic describes how to start, stop, pause, resume, or restart the SQL Server Database Engine, the SQL Server Agent, or the SQL Server Browser service by using SQL Server Configuration Manager, SQL Server Management Studio, net commands from a command prompt, Transact-SQL, or PowerShell.

  • Before you begin:

    • What are these services?

    • Additional Information

    • Security

  • Instructions using:

    • SQL Server Configuration Manager

    • SQL Server Management Studio

    • net Commands from a Command Prompt window

    • Transact-SQL

    • PowerShell

Before You Begin

What is the SQL Server Database Engine service, the SQL Server Agent service, and the SQL Server Browser service?

SQL Server components are executable programs that run as a Windows service. Programs that run as a Windows service can continue to operate without displaying any activity on the computer screen.

  • Database Engine service
    The executable process that is the SQL Server Database Engine. The Database Engine can be the default instance (limit one per computer), or can be one of many named instances of the Database Engine. Use SQL Server Configuration Manager to determine which instances of Database Engine are installed on the computer. The default instance (if you install it) is listed as SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER). Named instances (if you install them) are listed as SQL Server (<instance_name>). By default, SQL Server Express is installed as SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS).

  • SQL Server Agent service
    A Windows service that executes scheduled administrative tasks, which are called jobs and alerts. For more information, see SQL Server Agent. SQL Server Agent is not available in every edition of SQL Server. For a list of features that are supported by the editions of SQL Server, see Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2012 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=232473).

  • SQL Server Browser service
    A Windows service that listens for incoming requests for SQL Server resources and provides clients information about SQL Server instances installed on the computer. A single instance of the SQL Server Browser service is used for all instances of SQL Server installed on the computer.

Additional Information

  • Pausing the Database Engine service prevents new users from connecting to the Database Engine, but users who are already connected can continue to work until their connections are broken. Use pause when you want to wait for users to complete work before you stop the service. This enables them to complete transactions that are in progress. Resume allows the Database Engine to accept new connections again. The SQL Server Agent service cannot be paused or resumed.

  • The SQL Server Configuration Manager and SQL Server Management Studio display the current status of services by using the following icons.

    SQL Server Configuration Manager

    • A green arrow on the icon next to the service name indicates that the service is started.

    • A red square on the icon next to the service name indicates that the service is stopped.

    • Two vertical blue lines on the icon next to the service name indicates that the service is paused.

    • When restarting the Database Engine, a red square will indicate that the service stopped, and then a green arrow will indicate that he service started successfully.

    SQL Server Management Studio

    • A white arrow on a green circle icon next to the service name indicates that the service is started.

    • A white square on a red circle icon next to the service name indicates that the service is stopped.

    • Two vertical white lines on a blue circle icon next to the service name indicates that the service is paused.

  • When using SQL Server Configuration Manager or SQL Server Management Studio, only options that are possible will be available. For example, if the service is already started, Start will be unavailable.

  • When running on a cluster, the SQL Server Database Engine service is best managed by using Cluster Administrator.

Security

Permissions

By default, only members of the local administrators group can start, stop, pause, resume or restart a service. To grant non-administrators the ability to manage services, see How to grant users rights to manage services in Windows Server 2003. (The process is similar on other versions of Windows.)

Stopping the Database Engine by using the Transact-SQL SHUTDOWN command requires membership in the sysadmin or serveradmin fixed server roles, and is not transferable.

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Using SQL Server Configuration Manager

To start, stop, pause, resume, or restart the an instance of the SQL Server Database Engine

  1. On the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2012 , point to Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Configuration Manager.

  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, click Yes.

  3. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, in the left pane, click SQL Server Services.

  4. In the results pane, right-click SQL Server (MSSQLServer) or a named instance, and then click Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, or Restart.

  5. Click OK to close SQL Server Configuration Manager.

Note

To start an instance of the SQL Server Database Engine with startup options, see Configure Server Startup Options (SQL Server Configuration Manager).

To start, stop, pause, resume, or restart the SQL Server Browser or an instance of the SQL Server Agent

  1. On the Start menu, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2012 , point to Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Configuration Manager.

  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, click Yes.

  3. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, in the left pane, click SQL Server Services.

  4. In the results pane, right-click SQL Server Browser, or SQL Server Agent (MSSQLServer) or SQL Server Agent (<instance_name>) for a named instance, and then click Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, or Restart.

  5. Click OK to close SQL Server Configuration Manager.

Note

SQL Server Agent cannot be paused.

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Using SQL Server Management Studio

To start, stop, pause, resume, or restart the an instance of the SQL Server Database Engine

  1. In Object Explorer, connect to the instance of the Database Engine, right-click the instance of the Database Engine you want to start, and then click Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, or Restart.

    Or, in Registered Servers, right-click the instance of the Database Engine you want to start, point to Service Control, and then click Start, Stop, Pause, Resume, or Restart.

  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, click Yes.

  3. When prompted if you want to perform the action, click Yes.

To start, stop, or restart the an instance of the SQL Server Agent

  1. In Object Explorer, connect to the instance of the Database Engine, right-click SQL Server Agent, and then click Start, Stop, or Restart.

  2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, click Yes.

  3. When prompted if you want to perform the action, click Yes.

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From the Command Prompt Window using net Commands

The Microsoft SQL Server services can be started, stopped, or paused by using Microsoft Windows net commands.

To start the default instance of the Database Engine

  • From a command prompt, enter one of the following commands:

    net start "SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER)"

    -or-

    net start MSSQLSERVER

To start a named instance of the Database Engine

  • From a command prompt, enter one of the following commands. Replace <instancename> with the name of the instance you want to manage.

    net start "SQL Server ( instancename )"

    -or-

    net start MSSQL$ instancename

To start the Database Engine with startup options

  • Add startup options to the end of the net start "SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER)" statement, separated by a space. When started using net start, startup options use a slash (/) instead of a hyphen (-).

    net start "SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER)" /f /m

    -or-

    net start MSSQLSERVER /f /m

    Note

    For more information about startup options, see Database Engine Service Startup Options.

To start the SQL Server Agent on the default instance of SQL Server

  • From a command prompt, enter one of the following commands:

    net start "SQL Server Agent (MSSQLSERVER)"

    -or-

    net start SQLSERVERAGENT

To start the SQL Server Agent on a named instance of SQL Server

  • From a command prompt, enter one of the following commands. Replace instancename with the name of the instance you want to manage.

    net start "SQL Server Agent( instancename )"

    -or-

    net start SQLAgent$ instancename

For information about how to run SQL Server Agent in verbose mode for troubleshooting, see sqlagent90 Application.

To start the SQL Server Browser

  • From a command prompt, enter one of the following commands:

    net start "SQL Server Browser"

    -or-

    net start SQLBrowser

To pause or stop services from the Command Prompt window

  • To pause or stop services modify the commands in the following ways.

    • To pause a service, replace net start with net pause.

    • To stop a service, replace net start with use net stop.

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Using Transact-SQL

The Database Engine can be stopped by using the SHUTDOWN statement.

To stop the Database Engine using Transact-SQL

  • To wait for currently running Transact-SQL statements and stored procedures to finish, and then stop the Database Engine, execute the following statement.

    SHUTDOWN;

  • To stop the Database Engine immediately, execute the following statement.

    SHUTDOWN WITH NOWAIT;

For more information about the SHUTDOWN statement, see SHUTDOWN (Transact-SQL).

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Using PowerShell

To start and stop Database Engine services

  1. In a Command Prompt window, start SQL Server PowerShell by executing the following command.

    sqlps

  2. At a SQL Server PowerShell command prompt, by executing the following command. Replace computername with the name of your computer.

    # Get a reference to the ManagedComputer class.
CD SQLSERVER:\SQL\computername
$Wmi = (get-item .).ManagedComputer

  3. Identify the service that you want to stop or start. Pick one of the following lines. Replace instancename with the name of the named instance.

    • To get a reference to the default instance of the Database Engine.

      $DfltInstance = $Wmi.Services['MSSQLSERVER']

    • To get a reference to a named instance of the Database Engine.

      $DfltInstance = $Wmi.Services['MSSQL$instancename']

    • To get a reference to the SQL Server Agent service on the default instance of the Database Engine.

      $DfltInstance = $Wmi.Services['SQLSERVERAGENT']

    • To get a reference to the SQL Server Agent service on a named instance of the Database Engine.

      $DfltInstance = $Wmi.Services['SQLAGENT$instancename']

    • To get a reference to the SQL Server Browser service.

      $DfltInstance = $Wmi.Services['SQLBROWSER']

  4. Complete the example to start and then stop the selected service.

    # Display the state of the service.
$DfltInstance
# Start the service.
$DfltInstance.Start();
# Wait until the service has time to start.
# Refresh the cache.
$DfltInstance.Refresh(); 
# Display the state of the service.
$DfltInstance
# Stop the service.
$DfltInstance.Stop();
# Wait until the service has time to stop.
# Refresh the cache.
$DfltInstance.Refresh(); 
# Display the state of the service.
$DfltInstance

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See Also

Concepts

Start SQL Server with Minimal Configuration

Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2012