How to fix Error 3315 on Windows Server 2025 / Windows 11

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Troubleshooting Guide: SQL Server Error 3315 During Rollback

Why This Error Happens

Error 3315 occurs when SQL Server encounters a corrupted or unreadable log record while attempting to roll back a transaction, often because the transaction log file has been damaged by unexpected shutdowns, storage failures, or disk corruption. This can also happen if the log sequence number (LSN) chain is broken due to improper backup/restore operations or hardware-level I/O errors that silently corrupted log blocks. Since rollback depends entirely on reading consistent log records to undo operations, any corruption in that chain makes it impossible for SQL Server to complete the undo phase, potentially leaving the database in a suspect or recovery-pending state.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

Step 1: Verify the Database State and Capture Diagnostic Information

  • Run SELECT name, state_desc FROM sys.databases WHERE name = 'YourDB'; to confirm if the database is in SUSPECT, RECOVERY_PENDING, or RESTORING state.
  • Check the SQL Server Error Log (default path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL17.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Log\ERRORLOG) for the full 3315 message, including the page ID and file ID referenced.
  • Run DBCC CHECKDB('YourDB') WITH NO_INFOMSGS, ALL_ERRORMSGS; to assess the scope of corruption (note: this may fail if the DB is not in a readable state yet).

Step 2: Attempt Emergency Mode Repair

  • Set the database to EMERGENCY mode using: ALTER DATABASE YourDB SET EMERGENCY;
  • Place the database in single-user mode: ALTER DATABASE YourDB SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE;
  • Run DBCC CHECKDB('YourDB', REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS) WITH NO_INFOMSGS; — be aware this step can discard the corrupted transaction, so only proceed if no clean backup is available.
  • Revert to multi-user mode afterward: ALTER DATABASE YourDB SET MULTI_USER;

Step 3: Restore From a Verified Backup (Preferred Over Repair)

  • Locate your most recent full backup and subsequent log backups, typically stored under D:\SQLBackups\ or your configured backup share.
  • Restore the full backup with NORECOVERY, then apply transaction log backups up to the point just before the corruption occurred: RESTORE DATABASE YourDB FROM DISK = 'D:\SQLBackups\YourDB_Full.bak' WITH NORECOVERY;
  • Finish with RESTORE DATABASE YourDB WITH RECOVERY; to bring the database back online cleanly without the corrupted rollback transaction.

Step 4: Check Underlying Storage Health

  • Open Windows Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) and review the System log for Disk, NTFS, or Storport errors that coincide with the time of the 3315 error.
  • Run chkdsk D: /f /r (replace with your SQL data/log drive) during a maintenance window to detect and repair physical disk issues.
  • If running on virtualized or SAN storage, validate the underlying storage controller and multipathing drivers are up to date on Windows Server 2025.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • After recovery, run DBCC CHECKDB('YourDB') WITH NO_INFOMSGS, ALL_ERRORMSGS; again to confirm zero allocation and consistency errors before resuming production traffic.
  • If corruption recurs, configure CHECKSUM page verification (ALTER DATABASE YourDB SET PAGE_VERIFY CHECKSUM;) and schedule regular DBCC CHECKDB jobs to catch storage-level corruption early.