Fix SAP disp+work.exe Stopped: Step-by-Step Guide

If your SAP system fails to start and disp+work.exe stays gray or stops unexpectedly the root cause may be a SQL Server database in "Recovery Pending" state especially the system or application DB like Y01.

In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how I fixed this issue step-by-step after struggling for hours without restoring from backup or reinstalling anything.

Problem Overview

My SAP system wouldn't start. In SAP MMC disp+work.exe was not running. When I checked the database status in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), I saw:

Y01 (Recovery Pending)

This status means the database can’t start recovery automatically — often due to:

• Improper shutdown (e.g., power failure)
• Corrupt or missing transaction logs
• Disk space or IO issues

 

Root Cause: SQL DB in Recovery Pending

A database in Recovery Pending can't be accessed or brought online normally. And SAP depends heavily on that DB to initialize its services.

Full Recovery Steps (No Backup Needed)

⚠️ Warning: This can cause data loss for recent uncommitted transactions. Do this only if you don’t have a working backup.

Step 1: Stop SAP MMC

• Open SAP MMC
• Stop your SAP instance (right-click → Stop)
• Ensure all services are fully stopped

Step 2: Open SSMS → New Query

• Connect to SQL Server
• Open New Query
• Choose master database from the dropdown

Step 3: Run These Commands One-by-One

ALTER DATABASE Y01 SET EMERGENCY;

ALTER DATABASE Y01 SET SINGLE_USER;

DBCC CHECKDB (Y01, REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS);

ALTER DATABASE Y01 SET MULTI_USER;

ALTER DATABASE Y01 SET ONLINE;

If all goes well, your database will be back online.

Step 4: Restart SAP MMC

• Open SAP MMC
• Start your SAP system
• disp+work.exe should now turn green ✅

Optional: Backup Immediately

BACKUP DATABASE Y01 TO DISK = 'D:\Backup\Y01_AfterRepair.bak';

Final Thoughts

If you're running SAP on Microsoft SQL Server this guide may save your day. Whether you're a Basis admin, DB admin or SAP consultant — knowing how to handle a Recovery Pending database without a full restore can reduce downtime dramatically.

Need Help?

Leave a comment below if you’re stuck — I’ll try to help!. Troubleshooting SAP + SQL is tough — but doable!