Can't restore database: A transport-level error has occurred when receiving results from the server This is not a good day for me. I have a backup (master.bak) for SQL Server 2005 Express SP4 (v.9.0.500) that I want to restore to my master db instance. I am running SQL Server in single-user mode (sqlservr.exe -m), connect to the instance, then I do a Task... Restore. This is the error I get:


  TITLE: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express
  
  Restore failed for Server 'GINO\SQLEXPRESS'. 
  (Microsoft.SqlServer.Express.Smo)
  
  For help, click:
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&amp;ProdVer=9.00.2047.00&amp;EvtSrc=Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.ExceptionTemplates.FailedOperationExceptionText&amp;EvtID=Restore+Server&amp;LinkId=20476
  
  ------------------------------ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
  
  Failed to retrieve data for this request.
  (Microsoft.SqlServer.Express.SmoEnum)
  
  For help, click:
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&amp;LinkId=20476
  
  
  
  An exception occurred while executing a Transact-SQL statement or
  batch. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Express.ConnectionInfo)
  
  
  
  A transport-level error has occurred when receiving results from the
  server. (provider: Shared Memory Provider, error: 0 - The pipe has
  been ended.) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 109)
  
  For help, click:
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&amp;EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&amp;EvtID=109&amp;LinkId=20476


Please help me restore my backup database so that I can continue along with my business!
Use SQLCMD instead of Management studio to do the restore and try this.  (Since you are using a named instance make sure to use the -S switch for SQLCMD)

C:\&gt; SQLCMD -S GINO\SQLEXPRESS
&gt; RESTORE DATABASE master FROM DISK='C:\SQLBackups\master.bak' WITH REPLACE;
&gt; GO


Obviously replacing the path to your backup with the real path of where your backup is.

Have a look here for (slightly) more information.