SQL Server error 3201 - Cannot open backup device
Published 06 February 2015
You may encounter the following error when creating a compressed database by restoring from an encrypted SQL Backup Pro backup:
Msg 3201, Level 16, State 2, Line 1 Cannot open backup device '<backup_path>'
Resolving this error
Before restoring an encrypted SQL Backup Pro backup, you should run the extended stored procedurexp_validate_sqb_backup to associate the encrypted backup with a password:
EXEC master..xp_validate_sqb_backup @filename=N'<backup_path>', @password=N'<password>'
If the extended stored procedure is not available, you will need to add it to the master database for the local SQL Server instance. To do this:
- Copy the xpHyperBac.dll file from %ProgramFiles%\Red Gate\HyperBac\bin on 32-bit machines or%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Red Gate\HyperBac\bin on 64-bit machines to the installation directory of your SQL Server instance (for example %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10\MSSQL\Binn, for SQL Server 2008).
Run the following command to install the stored procedure:
EXEC dbo.sp_addextendedproc N'xp_validate_sqb_backup', 'xpHyperBac.dll';
To avoid this problem, use the wizard to restore a SQL Backup Pro backup to a compressed database.