SQL Server - Search for value

You want to find some value within whole database, in all tables and columns? You can use this script for searching of value in your database, I found it when trying to find some MAC address within SCCM database. Keep in mind that it will take some time when you are running it over pretty big database as it is going though all tables and all columns within database.

As you can see in results screen, script results are multiplied by tables which contains value you are looking for + one results with summary of what have been found.

Script source: https://fullparam.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/fck-it-i-am-going-to-search-all-tables-all-collumns/

DECLARE @SearchStrTableName nvarchar(255), @SearchStrColumnName nvarchar(255), @SearchStrColumnValue nvarchar(255), @SearchStrInXML bit, @FullRowResult bit, @FullRowResultRows int
SET @SearchStrColumnValue = '%WhatAreYouLookingFor%' /* use LIKE syntax */
SET @FullRowResult = 1
SET @FullRowResultRows = 3
SET @SearchStrTableName = NULL /* NULL for all tables, uses LIKE syntax */
SET @SearchStrColumnName = NULL /* NULL for all columns, uses LIKE syntax */
SET @SearchStrInXML = 0 /* Searching XML data may be slow */

IF OBJECT_ID('tempdb..#Results') IS NOT NULL DROP TABLE #Results
CREATE TABLE #Results (TableName nvarchar(128), ColumnName nvarchar(128), ColumnValue nvarchar(max),ColumnType nvarchar(20))

SET NOCOUNT ON

DECLARE @TableName nvarchar(256) = '',@ColumnName nvarchar(128),@ColumnType nvarchar(20), @QuotedSearchStrColumnValue nvarchar(110), @QuotedSearchStrColumnName nvarchar(110)
SET @QuotedSearchStrColumnValue = QUOTENAME(@SearchStrColumnValue,'''')
DECLARE @ColumnNameTable TABLE (COLUMN_NAME nvarchar(128),DATA_TYPE nvarchar(20))

WHILE @TableName IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
    SET @TableName = 
    (
        SELECT MIN(QUOTENAME(TABLE_SCHEMA) + '.' + QUOTENAME(TABLE_NAME))
        FROM    INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
        WHERE       TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE'
            AND TABLE_NAME LIKE COALESCE(@SearchStrTableName,TABLE_NAME)
            AND QUOTENAME(TABLE_SCHEMA) + '.' + QUOTENAME(TABLE_NAME) > @TableName
            AND OBJECTPROPERTY(OBJECT_ID(QUOTENAME(TABLE_SCHEMA) + '.' + QUOTENAME(TABLE_NAME)), 'IsMSShipped') = 0
    )
    IF @TableName IS NOT NULL
    BEGIN
        DECLARE @sql VARCHAR(MAX)
        SET @sql = 'SELECT QUOTENAME(COLUMN_NAME),DATA_TYPE
                FROM    INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS
                WHERE       TABLE_SCHEMA    = PARSENAME(''' + @TableName + ''', 2)
                AND TABLE_NAME  = PARSENAME(''' + @TableName + ''', 1)
                AND DATA_TYPE IN (' + CASE WHEN ISNUMERIC(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(REPLACE(@SearchStrColumnValue,'%',''),'_',''),'[',''),']',''),'-','')) = 1 THEN '''tinyint'',''int'',''smallint'',''bigint'',''numeric'',''decimal'',''smallmoney'',''money'',' ELSE '' END + '''char'',''varchar'',''nchar'',''nvarchar'',''timestamp'',''uniqueidentifier''' + CASE @SearchStrInXML WHEN 1 THEN ',''xml''' ELSE '' END + ')
                AND COLUMN_NAME LIKE COALESCE(' + CASE WHEN @SearchStrColumnName IS NULL THEN 'NULL' ELSE '''' + @SearchStrColumnName + '''' END  + ',COLUMN_NAME)'
        INSERT INTO @ColumnNameTable
        EXEC (@sql)
        WHILE EXISTS (SELECT TOP 1 COLUMN_NAME FROM @ColumnNameTable)
        BEGIN
            PRINT @ColumnName
            SELECT TOP 1 @ColumnName = COLUMN_NAME,@ColumnType = DATA_TYPE FROM @ColumnNameTable
            SET @sql = 'SELECT ''' + @TableName + ''',''' + @ColumnName + ''',' + CASE @ColumnType WHEN 'xml' THEN 'LEFT(CAST(' + @ColumnName + ' AS nvarchar(MAX)), 4096),''' 
            WHEN 'timestamp' THEN 'master.dbo.fn_varbintohexstr('+ @ColumnName + '),'''
            ELSE 'LEFT(' + @ColumnName + ', 4096),''' END + @ColumnType + ''' 
                    FROM ' + @TableName + ' (NOLOCK) ' +
                    ' WHERE ' + CASE @ColumnType WHEN 'xml' THEN 'CAST(' + @ColumnName + ' AS nvarchar(MAX))' 
                    WHEN 'timestamp' THEN 'master.dbo.fn_varbintohexstr('+ @ColumnName + ')'
                    ELSE @ColumnName END + ' LIKE ' + @QuotedSearchStrColumnValue
            INSERT INTO #Results
            EXEC(@sql)
            IF @@ROWCOUNT > 0 IF @FullRowResult = 1 
            BEGIN
                SET @sql = 'SELECT TOP ' + CAST(@FullRowResultRows AS VARCHAR(3)) + ' ''' + @TableName + ''' AS [TableFound],''' + @ColumnName + ''' AS [ColumnFound],''FullRow>'' AS [FullRow>],*' +
                    ' FROM ' + @TableName + ' (NOLOCK) ' +
                    ' WHERE ' + CASE @ColumnType WHEN 'xml' THEN 'CAST(' + @ColumnName + ' AS nvarchar(MAX))' 
                    WHEN 'timestamp' THEN 'master.dbo.fn_varbintohexstr('+ @ColumnName + ')'
                    ELSE @ColumnName END + ' LIKE ' + @QuotedSearchStrColumnValue
                EXEC(@sql)
            END
            DELETE FROM @ColumnNameTable WHERE COLUMN_NAME = @ColumnName
        END 
    END
END
SET NOCOUNT OFF

SELECT TableName, ColumnName, ColumnValue, ColumnType, COUNT(*) AS Count FROM #Results
GROUP BY TableName, ColumnName, ColumnValue, ColumnType

Results

Script results screen:

Results screen

Script results detailed description:

Column nameData typeDescription
TableFoundsysnameName of the table containing row with value you searched for.
ColumnFoundsysnameColumn of row containing value you searched for.
FullRownvarcharJust pointer to the rest of columns from original row.
(rest of columns)-All other columns are brought from underlying table containing rows SQL Server found for you.

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