Question: I have a database that has a 28gig transaction log file. Recovery mode is simple. I just took a full backup of the database, and then ran both:

`backup log dbmcms with truncate_only`

DBCC SHRINKFILE ('Wxlog0', TRUNCATEONLY)

The name of the db is db\_mcms and the name of the transaction log file is Wxlog0. 

Neither has helped. I'm not sure what to do next.

Answer: 
You may run into this problem if your database is set to autogrow the log & you end up with lots of virtual log files.  

Run `DBCC LOGINFO('databasename')` & look at the last entry, if this is a 2 then your log file wont shrink. Unlike data files virtual log files cannot be moved around inside the log file.

You will need to run BACKUP LOG and DBCC SHRINKFILE several times to get the log file to shrink.

For extra bonus points run DBBC LOGINFO in between log & shirks
If you set the recovery mode on the database in 2005 (don't know for pre-2005) it will drop the log file all together and then you can put it back in full recovery mode to restart/recreate the logfile. We ran into this with SQL 2005 express in that we couldn't get near the 4GB limit with data until we changed the recovery mode.