“Unrecognized Database Format†Error - Access 2007 Runtime

[Brad]

We recently put a small application system into Production using Access 2007
Runtime. This is our first use of Access 2007 in Production.

This little system is only used one time per day on one of two user PCs.
Over the past 4 weeks, it has run nicely each day. This morning we received
the error message “Unrecognized Database Formatâ€. We were able to resolve
the problem by copying in a new copy of the .accdr file.

We have one “Development†PC that has a full version of Access 2007. We
have never seen this message on this PC. We have only seen the problem on
the two User PCs which are using the “Runtime†version. Therefore, it seems
like this problem could be tied to the Runtime option.

In doing some research on the internet, it looks like this error message may
be the result of database corruption. I would like to know where to start
digging in order to get to the root cause of what is creating this error. If
the cause is “corruptionâ€, where do I start to look in order to eliminate the
cause of the corruption?

Everyone involved is quite discouraged by this problem. Again, this is our
first use of Access 2007 in production and there is now some question as to
whether Access is “industrial strength†enough for a real production
application.

Any help, assistance, or direction would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

Brad

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

The problem occurs when a database is corrupted. This can happen when a user
shuts down a PC without closing the database (like if the machine locks up
or he simply switches it off), or it can happen if there's a network problem
(usually a bad NIC). Lastly it can happen if the files is shared without
being split with a copy of the front-end not residing on each user's
workstation.

 

[Brad]

Arvin,

Thanks for your help.

I saw the problem first hand this morning on both “Production†machines. I
don’t think that either machine had a lock-up or shutdown during this period.
I have not heard of any network issues affecting either PC. Both PCs have a
Front End Access 2007 application that is connected to a shared (Split)
Back-end Access Database.

Only one PC was used at a time.

Because I have never seen this problem on the “Development†machine which
has the full version of Access 2007, I wonder if we are running into
something related to “Runtimeâ€. On the other hand, refreshing the
application (new version of the .accdr file) fixed the problem, so corruption
must be coming into play somehow.

Because this application is so small, it is hard to imagine what is causing
any corruption.

Brad

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

Are both users connected to the same front end? or is there a copy of that
front-end on each workstation?
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
http://www.accessmvp.com

Disclaimer: Any code or opinions are offered here as is. Some of that
code has been well tested for number of years. Some of it is untested
"aircode" typed directly into the post. Some may be code from other
authors. Some of the products recommended have been purchased and
used by the author. Others have been furnished by their manufacturers.
Still others have not been personally tested, but have been
recommended by others whom this author respects.

 

[Brad]

Arvin,

Each PC (only 2 of them) has a copy of the front-end. In addtion, something
I forgot to mention. This little application is only run once per day to
extract orders from a remote SQL-Server database. It is either run on one PC
or the other. It is never opened at the same time on both Production PCs.
The application is quite simple, so we are perplexed. We have plans to use
Access 2007 for future user applications, but we are now concerned about
possible corruptions issues that are starting to affect this preliminary
system.

Brad

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

Each PC (only 2 of them) has a copy of the front-end. In addtion, something
I forgot to mention. This little application is only run once per day to
extract orders from a remote SQL-Server database. It is either run on one PC
or the other. It is never opened at the same time on both Production PCs.
The application is quite simple, so we are perplexed. We have plans to use
Access 2007 for future user applications, but we are now concerned about
possible corruptions issues that are starting to affect this preliminary
system.

It's next to impossible to corrupt an Access database file running on
the local system. Corruptions are caused by interrupted
writes/updates of the database file. Some sort of intermittent
network error is generally the cause. But if the FE is on the local
system well, it's rather unlikely that the hard drive is failing
without you folks noticing that in other ways.

Where are the orders extracted to? The same database file? Not that
it should matter.

This is rather puzzling.

Tony

 

[Brad]

Tony,

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

I am not 100% sure that our problem is “corruption†or not.

The error message that we have received is “Unrecognized Database Formatâ€.
This was displayed when the user first initiates the system. It has happened
several times. We refreshed the ACCDR file and the problem disappeared.

Here are more details about our first little Access system.

The Front-end is installed on two Production End-User PCs.

We are using the Access Runtime facility on these two PCs.

The problem has occurred on both PCs.

The Back-end (Split Database) is on a server.

The system is used to export customer orders from a remote SQL-Server
database.
This export is done one time per day. It only takes a few seconds.

The Export is done with ODBC with a Pass-Through Query.

We are changing the Query-Def of the Pass Through Query in order to plug in
the appropriate SQL Where statements at execution time. (Based on other
feedback on this forum, we have some concern that changing the Query-Def may
be the cause of the problem. We are looking for a better approach, but have
not figured this out yet).

We have little experience with Access. This is our very first “Productionâ€
system.

To the best of my knowledge, we have not seen any other problems on either
of the two End-User PCs, and we have not seen any network problems.

We are puzzled and a bit concerned, as this first system is just the
beginning of our plans for much bigger uses of Access 2007.

Brad

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I am not 100% sure that our problem is “corruption” or not.

The error message that we have received is “Unrecognized Database Format”.
This was displayed when the user first initiates the system. It has happened
several times. We refreshed the ACCDR file and the problem disappeared.

One possibility is that the system producing the ACCDR has a SP
installed that the runtimes don't have. (I'm not familiar with the
details of creating an ACCDR. I assume it's similar to an ACCDE so
the dev and the user can't view the design of the form or report and
the VBA code?)

However this doesn't make sense as this would always be consistent.
That is refreshing the ACCDR on the work stations shouldn't make a
difference. Hmm, unless you have two work stations creating ACCDRs,
one without a SP and one with the SP. And the one without the SP
creates ACCDRs that the workstations can read.

I'm grasping here of course.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a free, convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/

 

[David W. Fenton]

I'm not familiar with the
details of creating an ACCDR. I assume it's similar to an ACCDE
so the dev and the user can't view the design of the form or
report and the VBA code?)

Take an ACCDB or ACCDE and rename it ACCDR. It will then be loaded
by as if you supplied the /runtime switch with the other two file
extensions. It's no more complicated than that -- just a change of
the file extension, not any difference in format.

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

Take an ACCDB or ACCDE and rename it ACCDR. It will then be loaded
by as if you supplied the /runtime switch with the other two file
extensions. It's no more complicated than that -- just a change of
the file extension, not any difference in format.

Oh yeah, now I remember.

Thanks, Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a free, convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/