Is it safe to shrink MDF file?

Can you shrink MDF file?

Shrinking MDF and NDF file is possible and there is no chance of data loss. It is not always advisable to shrink those file as those files are usually growing. There are cases when one database is separated in multiple database of any large table is dropped from database MDF and NDF can contain large empty space.

Is it safe to shrink log file?

It's safe, but do it at a quiet time when there's low transactional activity. It's recommended to shrink the log to its minimal size and then grow it to its normal size (this will ensure the correct number of VLFs (internal virtual log files) are created, which improves performance for logged commands).

Why is MDF file too large?

Because the MDF was allocated with 154Gb, or has grown to 154Gb through various operations. A database file has at least the size of the data in it, but it can be larger than the used amount by any amount.

Why you should never shrink a database?

It's an unbelievably, disgustingly, repulsively bad idea. Your disk drive space is for files, not for ornamentation. You don't get bonused based on the amount of free space on your drives. Empty files don't take longer to back up.