sql server database backup restore on lower version

Question

How to restore a higher version SQL Server database backup file onto a lower version SQL Server?

Using SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.1600), I made a backup file and now I want to restore it on my live server's SQL Server 2008 (10.00.1600).

When I tried to restore the backup onto SQL Server 2008 it gives an error i.e. Restore Failed because:

The database was backed up on a server running version 10.50.1600. That version is incompatible with this server, which is running version 10.00.1600.

How do I restore the backup file on this server?

Answer 1

No this is not possible as you cannot downgrade a database, the only left options are :

• upgrade the instance that you try to attach or restore to SQL Server 2008 R2 
• Another one is to restore a backup of a SQL Server 2008 R2 instance and then export all its data and import it to a SQL Server 2008 database.