SQL Management Studio by default does not let you make changes that require dropping and recreating a database table.  This can be quite annoying if you just made changes you want to save.

Here are some column actions that will trigger a drop/recreate:

  •  Change column’s data type
  •  Drop a column
  •  Add a column between existing columns
  •  Change a column’s nullability
  •  Change column order

Luckily, it is easy to fix.  Go to:

  • Tools / Options / Designers / Table and Database Designers.
  • Deselect “Prevent saving changes that require the table to be recreated.