sql server - shrink database size

Question

I have a SQL Server 2008 DB. I store mainly text data in it, but also inserted some blobs in it. The size of the DB increased. Now I deleted the blobs, but it seems that the size of the DB stayed the same. How can I make it shrink?

Answer 1

There is a Shrink option available in the context menu of the database in the SQL Server Management Studio.

More information

• How to: Shrink a Database (SQL Server Management Studio)

Answer 2

There is an option to shrink either database or database file. You right-click on the database in management studio -> tasks -> Shrink

Answer 3

from BOL:

DBCC SHRINKDATABASE (UserDB, 10); 
GO

where UserDB is your database name and 10 is the percentage of free space you want to leave.

Using SHRINKDATABASE has performance implications, you can read about them from this question on StackOverflow.

Answer 4

How big is yours t-log file,maybe you only need shrink t-log,it doesn't matter if your delete some of rows from your databse,because that transactions will probably go to t-log.

Answer 5

The DB dosn't shrink automaticaly, but you have now some free space in de file. So if you will save some text in the future, the database the database will grow again when no free space is available any more.

If you really what to shrink it: right click on DB \ tasks \ shrink will to what you want.