Getting Rid of a Large SQL Log File

I comes up about once a year where I've come across a database with a log file that has grown too big and shrinking the database doesn't do anything.

To make sure I have a reference for what to do the next time this happens... Here's what's involved in emptying out a large SQL log file:

• Go to the options of the database and change the recovery mode to Simple
• Run a full database backup.
• Run a database Shrink -> Files
• Choose the transaction log to shrink
• Check off the option to reorganize the file and then release the free space
• Execute the Shrink command
• Set the database back to Full recovery mode
  

In this case the database that had the large log file was the subscriber to a replicated database.  Since the publisher was being backed-up there wasn't much need to set the database back to full recovery mode.

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