When copying a database by using the Restore Database functionality in SSMS, why is it not a copy of the current state of the Database? After performing the Restore From Database Bar to Database Foo, the data contained in Foo is about a month older than the current state of Bar.
Is there a way to ensure that Foo would be a 1:1 copy of the current state of Bar when using this method of copying a Database or is there some better way of creating copies of existing databases?
The GUI is giving you the most recent backup for the database you had highlighted, which I presume is Foo. That dialog is giving you the history of the highlighted database's backups as pulled from MSDB. If you choose "From Device," you can browse to a different backup and use it instead.
As to the contents of Foo and their not being an exact copy of the current state of Bar, they would be an exact copy of Bar at the exact time the backup of Bar that you're restoring from was taken.
If you want to create a new Foo that's an exact copy of Bar as of right now through the GUI, there's a copy database wizard you can use by right-clicking Bar and choosing Tasks -> Copy Database.
