Use Older Versions Of SQL Server Databases With 2012? We have been asked to move from SQL Server 2008 R2 over to 2012, the installation completed a few hours ago. Ever since I've been trying to attach databases from 2008 over to 2012. 

It seems to be having no effect. Error messages below: 


  Attach database failed for Server 'Development\SQLSERVER'.  (Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo)
  Database 'PS_EmpData' cannot be upgraded because its non-release version (539) is not supported by this version of SQL Server. You cannot open a database that is incompatible with this version of sqlservr.exe. You must re-create the database.


I mean, this table is quite a big database; and the time it would take to re-create with all the inserts would be unreal. We are still operating with our SQL 2008 R2 for production, but development process is underway on 2012.

My overall question is, do we have to re-create the database to use 2012 or is there a work around?
The version (539) indicated in the error message says that this database is a Sql Server 2000 database and thus is not supported in Sql Server 2012 See here

Probably in your SqlServer 2008R2 this particular database has a compatibilty level set to Sql Server 2000. You could try to change this level going to the properties of the database, Options page  and changing the compatibility level to 2008, then retry to attach the database to Sql Server 2012