How to Resolve SQL Server Error Message 3241?

Have you got below error message on your screen during restore of SQL server database?

“An exception occurred while executing a Transact-SQL statement or batch. (Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo)"
Additional information:
The media family on device 'Backupfile.bak' is incorrectly formed. SQL Server cannot process this media family.
RESTORE HEADERONLY is terminating abnormally. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 3241)”

Reason: This can happen due to many reasons but the most common reason is due to version mismatch between backup & restore SQL server (To perform backup & restore operation of your SQL server database, you will have required two SQL servers with same version or higher version). You can't restore a backup that was taken from higher version of SQL server to lower version of SQL server.

For Example: You cann't restore a backup that was taken from SQL server 2008 to SQL server 2005.

Resolution: To resolve above error message first check the version of both SQL server. Run bellow command to check the version:

Select @@version;
Go

If this command verifies that backup taken SQL server version is higher than restore SQL server version then you have two choice either upgrade restore SQL server or restore backup on the higher version of SQL server.

Alternate Solution: You can also resolve SQL server error message 3241 by performing below steps:

1. Create a blank database in SQL server 2005
2. Generate the script using 'Generate Script Wizard'
3. Now create structure of your database
4. Finally use Import/Export data wizard to import your data.