How do I delete extra tempdb files?

Question

All tempdb files are re-created during startup. However, they are empty and can be removed. To remove additional files in tempdb, use the ALTER DATABASE command by using the REMOVE FILE option. Use the DBCC SHRINKDATABASE command to shrink the tempdb database.

What is taking up tempdb space?

User temdpb usage is related to creating and populating @table variables or #temporary tables and explicitly populating them. System tempdb usage is related to large operations such as hash joins or sorts which cannot fit into memory and as a result must spill into tempdb.

What should I do if SQL Server tempdb is full?

CREATE the necessary space by dropping objects in the filegroup, adding additional files to the filegroup,or setting autogrowth on for existing files in the filegroup. When investigating a TempDB issue like this, most simply restart the SQL Server instance.

How many tempdb files should I have?

According to Microsoft Support, the best approach is to create one tempdb data file per logical processor up to 8 data files. If your system has more than 8 logical processors, start with 8 data files and monitor your server's workload to determine if more data files would be beneficial.

What happens if tempdb is full?

The TempDB database is special in many ways, but an interesting aspect is that when its files automatically grow when they become full, this growth is not persisted and will be undone on the next restart of the SQL Server service.

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