What to do if you lose your MSSQL master database 

e2solutions recently had a customer who had a customer running a Microsoft SQL2000 which had the master database of SQL become corrupt which then made it to where the server could be managed from SQL Enterprise Manager. In the process e2solutions assisted the customer in getting back up and running with minimal downtime. Below is a sample outline of the steps one should take if this process were to happen to their company.

1. Check and see if the masterDB was part of the SQL backup rotation
2. If it is not then a) have a better disaster recovery plan and b) look on the SQL Server CD for the masterDB rebuild tool
3. Rebuild the master database itself with the tool
4. Once the master database is restored go into SQL Enterprise manager and 're-attach' your old pre-existing database
   ** (if this happens to an Everest Software Inc customer see the notes below)
5. Recreate your users in sql security and set the permissions accordingly. If you need to clear the users because sql shows they already exist this can be done from within the users section of the appropriate database.
   
6. Any DTS packages or sql jobs or maintenence routines will have been lost - make sure you recreate them from scratch as a part of your normal automated processes.
   
7. Lastly - make a fail-safe disaster recovery plan that includes your masterDB of SQL so that you dont lose everything in the future.

An excellent resource that explains the steps necessary for the master database rebuild process can be tound with http://www.dbarecovery.com/restoremasterdb.html.

Everest Software Inc customers

1. Starting with Step 4 this process changes a little. Since Everest is registered to Everest_Sys user, that user has to be recreated and the appropriate ties to the SQL server have to be recreated. To do this a re-install of the version of Everest and hotfixes you are on must be re-applied.
   
2. Before you can do this - you must make a backup of your everest_system database so you have a copy of your companies table.
3. Also at the same time - be safe, backup your ecommerce site files or any other everest files or databases
   
4. Once this has been done - remove / detach and move - your everest_system database, delete the everest_sample database.
   
5. Go into control panel and select add/remove everest components
6. Remove all components EXCEPT for the database component.
7. Once the process finishes go back into the add/remove for everest and remove the database component
   
8. Once the process finishes again go back into add/remove for everest and remove the entire application.
   
9. At this stage reboot the database server
10. Once the database server has come back up go ahead with a clean install with whatever Everest version you are working with.
    
11. Once the software is reinstalled with all the appropriate settings
12. Re-attach your company database
13. Open the everest_system.companies table and add the entries from the backup copy of this table that done in step 2 for your company
14. Now you should be able to log into your Everest company database.