Troubleshooting Guide: How to Fix SQL Server Error 8921 and 8967

SQL is called relational databases. It is designed to communicate with databases to perform various operations on the data they contain. However, when SQL Server encountered a page that was so severely corrupted that it could not be read or processed at all. It is the SQL Server Error 8921. Plus, when corruption affects SQL Server’s ability to track and report on the damaged objects, it results in SQL Server Error 8967. This guide will provide a step-by-step process to help you fix SQL Server Error 8921 and 8967. Moreover, the powerful SQL Database Recovery Tool to deal with it easily. Download Now Purchase Now

However, prior to that let’s understand these two errors closely. 

What are SQL Server Error 8921 and 8967? 

These errors happen when there is severe physical corruption in the database’s data pages or critical system catalog structures, typically caused by hardware failures, storage issues, or I/O problems during write operations.

Error Code	What It Really Means	Severity & Urgency
SQL Server Error 8921	The detective (DBCC) found a page so broken, it can’t even be read. This is physical corruption—like a damaged book page in your database.	Severity 24 – CRITICALFatal corruptionRequires immediate restore from backup
SQL Server Error 8967	The index or system catalog is corrupted. Think of it like the index of a book pointing to wrong pages. Your data might exist, but SQL can’t navigate to it.	Severity 16 – CORRECTABLEUser-actionableMay allow repair with data loss

Next, before we jump into the solutions to fix SQL Server Error 8921 and 8967, we must understand why these errors occur. 

Why did SQL Server Error 8921 and 8967 Happen? 

These errors don’t appear randomly, there are few reasons behind that. The most common reasons for these SQL errors are following:

• Storage fails (bad disk sectors, RAID issues, SAN glitches).
• Memory corruption writes bad data to disk.
• Unexpected shutdowns during heavy writes.
• The backup/restore process got interrupted.

How to Resolve Error 8921 and 8967 in SQL Server? 

SQL Server errors 8921 and 8967 are strong indicators of database corruption, especially in metadata, indexes, or B-Tree structures. These errors commonly appear during DBCC CHECKDB, signaling that the database requires immediate repair to avoid further damage.

Thus, we will fix SQL Server Error 8921 and 8967 one by one. 

Manual Solution for SQL Server Error 8921

Error 8921 is related to Metadata corruption / damaged database structure. Thus, the first troubleshooting step is to run DBCC CHECKDB. 

01. Running DBCC CHECKDB Command

DBCC CHECKDB helps you determine how severe and widespread the corruption is.

Run the below command:

DBCC CHECKDB (‘YourDatabaseName’) WITH NO_INFOMSGS, ALL_ERRORMSGS;

This command identifies the corruption level and suggests a repair option.

02. Applying Recommended Repair Level

Now, if CHECKDB suggests repair steps, choose the safest option given below. 

Repair Options:

1. REPAIR_REBUILD – it is safe for minor corruption.

ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE;DBCC CHECKDB (‘YourDatabaseName’, REPAIR_REBUILD);ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET MULTI_USER;

2. REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS – this option is aggressive. Plus, it may cause data loss. Try to use it only when no backup is available.

ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET SINGLE_USER WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE;DBCC CHECKDB (‘YourDatabaseName’, REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS);ALTER DATABASE YourDatabaseName SET MULTI_USER;

03. Restore From a Clean Backup 

This is the best practice to get your corrupted & error-free data. You can do it manually by following the command below, or read this article to do it easily- Recover SQL Database.

Put this below command if  you have a recent, corruption-free backup:

RESTORE DATABASE YourDatabaseName FROM DISK = ‘backup_file.bak’ WITH REPLACE;

04. Check Hardware for Errors

Error 8921 also shows because of a storage failure. Check these hardware errors below.

• CHKDSK on Windows
• SMART test on disks
• Memory diagnostics
• Verify RAID or SAN health

These are a few troubleshooting steps to fix SQL Server Error 8921 and 8967 error. We have mentioned the steps below to fix it. 

Manual Solution for SQL Server Error 8967

This is SQL Server Error 8967 is an Index or B-Tree corruption problem. Plus, its severity level is 16. Follow the techniques mentioned below to solve it 

01. Rebuild or Reorganize the Corrupted Index

You must rebuild or reorganize your database with the commands below. 

ALTER INDEX ALL ON TableName REBUILD;

or

ALTER INDEX ALL ON TableName REORGANIZE;

If you know the exact index:

ALTER INDEX IndexName ON TableName REBUILD;

02. Drop and Recreate the Corrupted Index

If rebuilding fails, you can recreate the damaged or corrupted Index with the following prompt. 

DROP INDEX IndexName ON TableName;CREATE INDEX IndexName ON TableName (ColumnName);

03. Run DBCC CHECKDB to Verify

Now, run the DBCC CHECKDB to confirm that the upper methods worked. 

DBCC CHECKDB (‘YourDatabaseName’) WITH NO_INFOMSGS, ALL_ERRORMSGS;

These were all the manual troubleshooting to fix SQL Server Error 8921 and 8967. However, if these techniques don’t work, follow the ultimate  SQL Database Recovery Tool. 

How to Tackle Microsoft SQL Error 8921 and 8967? 

The SQL Database Recovery Tool offers a safer and more reliable alternative. It scans corrupt MDF and NDF files deeply, identifies damaged components. Moreover, it can restore tables, triggers, views, rules, and keys without altering the original data. The tool can also recover deleted records and rebuild broken database structures, ensuring clean and consistent output. With its advanced recovery engine and user-friendly interface, DatabaseFileRecoverySQL Database Recovery Tool provides an efficient way to tackle these SQL Server errors. Plus, this software can easily bring your database back to a healthy state.

In short, you don’t have to resolve SQL Server Database Error 8921 and 8967 manually with this software. 

Closing Statement 

SQL Errors 8921 and 8967 indicate severe database corruption often beyond safe DBCC repair. The SQL Database Recovery Tool performs binary-level forensics to fix SQL Server Error 8921 and 8967. Plus, it allows recovery of MDF/NDF files, reconstructing damaged metadata, indexes, and system catalogs without risking data loss. It enables non-destructive extraction of intact objects while preserving schemas, constraints, and referential integrity, delivering a clean, consistent database when conventional methods fail.

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