How to Remove a Clustered Index From the T-SQL Table

The "drop index" command lets you remove a clustered index on your Microsoft T-SQL database server. Indexes speed up your database queries, because the database sorts records based on the index you define. If you overindex your table, it can slow down database performance. If you no longer need the index, run the "drop index" command in the SQL Server Management Studio software.

Instructions

1. Click the Windows "Start" button and select "All Programs." Click "SQL Server;" then click "Microsoft SQL Management Studio" to open the database software.

2. Click the "New Query" button to open the query editor. Type the following code in the editor to delete your index:

   drop index index_name

   Replace "index_name" with the name of the clustered index. Most index names start with the prefix "IX_" to distinguish the index from the column name.

3. Press the "F5" key to execute the code. The index is removed, and a "Success" message returns after the code processes.

References

• Microsoft: DROP INDEX (Transact-SQL)