delete-a-backup-device-sql-server.md

title	Delete a Backup Device (SQL Server)
description	This article shows you how to delete a backup device in SQL Server by using SQL Server Management Studio or Transact-SQL.
author	MashaMSFT
ms.author	mathoma
ms.date	03/14/2017
ms.service	sql
ms.subservice	backup-restore
ms.topic	how-to
helpviewer_keywords	database backups [SQL Server], deleting devices backup devices [SQL Server], deleting deleting backup devices removing backup devices backing up databases [SQL Server], backup devices

Delete a Backup Device (SQL Server)

[!INCLUDE SQL Server] This topic describes how to delete a backup device in [!INCLUDEssnoversion] by using [!INCLUDEssManStudioFull] or [!INCLUDEtsql].

In This Topic

• Before you begin:

  Security

• To delete a backup device, using:

  SQL Server Management Studio

  Transact-SQL

Before You Begin

Security

Permissions

Requires membership in the diskadmin fixed server role.

Using SQL Server Management Studio

To delete a backup device

1. After connecting to the appropriate instance of the [!INCLUDEssDEnoversion], in Object Explorer, click the server name to expand the server tree.

2. Expand Server Objects, and then expand Backup Devices.

3. Right-click the device you want, and then click Delete.

4. In the Delete Object dialog box, verify that the correct device name appears in the Object Name column.

5. Click OK.

Using Transact-SQL

To delete a backup device

1. Connect to the [!INCLUDEssDE].

2. From the Standard bar, click New Query.

3. Copy and paste the following example into the query. This example shows how to use sp_dropdevice to delete a backup device. Execute the first example to create the mybackupdisk backup device and the physical name c:\backup\backup1.bak. Execute sp_dropdevice to delete the mybackupdisk backup device. The delfile parameter deletes the physical name.

--Define a backup device and physical name.   
USE AdventureWorks2022;  
GO  
EXEC sp_addumpdevice 'disk', 'mybackupdisk', 'c:\backup\backup1.bak' ;  
GO  
--Delete the backup device and the physical name.  
USE AdventureWorks2022;  
GO  
EXEC sp_dropdevice ' mybackupdisk ', 'delfile' ;  
GO  
  

See Also

View the Properties and Contents of a Logical Backup Device (SQL Server)
sys.backup_devices (Transact-SQL)
BACKUP (Transact-SQL)
Backup Devices (SQL Server)
sp_addumpdevice (Transact-SQL)