Starting SQL Server using -T902 Trace Flag to skip the Script Upgrade

Whenever we install a patch(Service Pack or Cumulative Update) to SQL Server or if we upgrade SQL Server from one version to another version(Ex: SQL Server 2008 to SQL Server 2012), at the end of the up-gradation process some scripts are applied to Master and MSDB databases. Sometimes, there are possibilities that the script upgrade may fail due to various reasons like below.

Script level upgrade for database ‘master’ failed after Applying SQL 2008 R2 SP2 due to Error “The database principal owns a schema in the database, and cannot be dropped”

Script Upgrade Failure to Apply msdb110_upgrade Sript

At that time we would have to start SQL Server instance using -T902 to skip SQL Server from attempting to apply the scripts, so that we can take corrective actions to fix the problem causing failure of the scripts and finally remove Trace Flag -T902 and start SQL Server normally which will then successfully apply the upgrade scripts.

Below are the steps to perform to start SQL Server to skip the script upgrade using Trace Flag -T902

1. Start -> All Programs -> Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 or the highest version installed -> Configuration Tools -> SQL Server Configuration Manager

2. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, click SQL Server Services.

3. In the right pane, right-click SQL Server (), and then click Properties.

4. On the Startup Parameters tab, in the Specify a startup parameter box, type the parameter (in this case the trace flag -T902), and then click Add. You will now see the parameters similar to below

SQL Server Istance Startup Parameters

5. Click OK.
6. Restart the Database Engine.
7. Connect to SQL Server instance from SQL Server Management Studio and take corrective actions to resolve the errors causing script upgrade to fail.
8. Now finally remove the -T902 trace flag from SQL Server Configuration manager
9. Restart SQL Server Instance
10. Verify Errorlog to make sure script upgrade finished successfully