SQL Server Error 3201

Error number

3201

Severity

16 (user-correctable error)

State

1 or 3 when creating a backup file, 2 when opening an existing one

Product

Microsoft SQL Server Database Engine

Versions

All supported SQL Server versions (2016 to 2025), Azure SQL Managed Instance

Category

Backup & Restore

Last reviewed

23 October 2026

What it means

Error 3201 means SQL Server could not create or open the backup file you named, and the operating system error in the message says why: wrong path, no permission, or a damaged device.

A BACKUP or RESTORE opens the backup file itself, as the SQL Server service account, on the server. When Windows refuses, SQL Server reports 3201 with the operating system error, and the statement stops with Msg 3013 ... is terminating abnormally. The OS error number is the key: 2 and 3 mean the file or folder does not exist, 5 means access is denied, and errors such as 21, 23, 27 and 1117 point to a device or hardware problem.

Two details trip people up. The path is resolved on the database server, not on your workstation, so C:\Backups means the server C: drive. And mapped drive letters belong to a user logon session, so a drive such as Z: that you see in Explorer is usually invisible to the service; use a UNC path such as \\fileserver\share instead. The state tells you the operation: states 1 and 3 when creating a backup file, state 2 when opening an existing one.

Common causes

• The folder in the path does not exist on the server, or the path has a typo (OS error 3), or the backup file to restore is not there (OS error 2).
• The SQL Server service account has no write permission on the folder or share (OS error 5). This often appears after moving backups to a network share or changing the service account.
• A mapped network drive letter was used: it exists in your Windows session but not for the SQL Server service.
• The file is locked by another process, such as a copy job or antivirus scan still holding it (OS error 32).
• The disk, share or device is failing or full (OS errors 21, 23, 27, 112 or 1117).

Diagnose it

Read-only These queries only read metadata and dynamic management views. They do not change data, permissions or configuration, so they are safe to run first.

SELECT servicename, service_account, status_desc
FROM sys.dm_server_services;

SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('InstanceDefaultBackupPath') AS default_backup_path;

SELECT TOP (10) bs.database_name, bs.backup_finish_date, mf.physical_device_name
FROM msdb.dbo.backupset AS bs
JOIN msdb.dbo.backupmediafamily AS mf ON mf.media_set_id = bs.media_set_id
ORDER BY bs.backup_finish_date DESC;

EXEC sp_readerrorlog 0, 1, N'Cannot open backup device';

How to fix it

Each fix is labelled with what it changes. Try read-only checks and the least invasive fix first, and test changes outside production.

BACKUP DATABASE AppDb
TO DISK = N'D:\Backups\AppDb_20261023.bak'
WITH CHECKSUM, STATS = 10;

Examples

Backing up to a folder that does not exist

-- C:\no_such_folder does not exist on the server
BACKUP DATABASE AppDb
TO DISK = N'C:\no_such_folder\AppDb.bak';

Msg 3201, Level 16, State 1, Line 2
Cannot open backup device 'C:\no_such_folder\AppDb.bak'. Operating system error 3(The system cannot find the path specified.).
Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 2
BACKUP DATABASE is terminating abnormally.

How to prevent it

Back up to a fixed, documented location that exists on the server, using UNC paths for network targets, and grant the service account access as part of server setup. When you change the service account or move backups, re-test a backup straight away.

Alert on failed backup jobs and on error 3201 or 3013 in the error log, so a broken backup does not go unnoticed until you need to restore. Restore a backup regularly to prove it works.

Common questions

Learn more on CodeWithSQL

• Working with large databases

Official documentation

• MSSQLSERVER_3201 (Microsoft Learn)
• BACKUP (Transact-SQL)
• Configure Windows service accounts and permissions

Last technically reviewed 23 October 2026; examples and diagnostics run on SQL Server 2025 (17.0.1145.4). Message text checked against the engine's sys.messages catalogue.