SQL Server: after converting from image to varbinary(MAX), should I update the converted column?

Question

I have a 200GB table with a column of type image, which I'm planing to convert to a varbinary(MAX). After reading this post about converting NTEXT http://geekswithblogs.net/johnsPerfBlog/archive/2008/04/16/ntext-vs-nvarcharmax-in-sql-2005.aspx the writer suggest to do an

UPDATE testTable 
SET testText = testText

After the conversion. Can the same be applied to a conversion between image and varbinary?

marc_s · Accepted Answer · 2017-02-17 16:20:23Z

1

Just run this command

ALTER TABLE YourTable 
ALTER COLUMN YourImageColumn VARBINARY(MAX);

and that should take care of everything.

There's no extra "conversion" step needed at all.

But again: do this on a TEST instance first!

And before you do it on your live system, TAKE A BACKUP!

You've been warned! :-)

answered Feb 17, 2017 at 16:20

marc_s

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