The file is totally gone, we searched. I checked the db1.mdb, seems it
includes what's in the original database. I am just trying to find out why
and how it happens? Anything we can do to prevent it from future happening
again? Our administrator only backs up the file at the end of the day.
Well, ms-access is part of office, and any word, or excel (or ms-access)
documents can simply be deleted by hitting the delete key. Further, when you
have a file (like word, or ms-access) just sitting on the server, if you hit
delete key, and answer yes..the file is deleted, but who's recycle bin does
the file go to ? (answer = none). When you delete the file, it does NOT get
transferred to your computer, and then put in the recycle bin. So, caution
is the letter of the day here.
however, there is a good solution and approach to this problem. First, the
main thing that is different about ms-access (as compared to word, or excel)
is that ms-access is a software development tool. That means you use
ms-access to create windows applications. If you think about how word, or
excel works, is the user first launches the application. So, each user has
word, or excel etc. installed on THEIR computer. After they launch the
application, you THEN OPEN THE data file part. (the fact that you often
click on the document does NOT change the fact that the application loads,
and THEN the document is opened).
In fact, for ANY reliable multi user operation of ms-access, you MUST split
the mdb file into two parts:
part #1, the so called front end (application part)
part #2, the so called back end (the data part).
So, what you do is split the application, and install the ms-access
application
part (with forms, code, reports etc.) on EACH computer. The tables are of
course linked to the back end which is installed on the server (the same
place where you shared the mdb file that got deleted).
The end result of this that your users now launch and run a application on
THEIR computer, and THAT application THEN opens the data file in the back
end. Thus, your users NEVER open the data file directly, but always launch
a local copy of the application. The added benefit of this is if a user has
some problem with "THEIR" COPY of the application, then whole system does
not
crash..but ONLY that one persons computer. Further, users can't accident
delete the data file since they never open it directly. The fact of matter
is that for years and years you ALWAYS installed word, or Excel on EACH
computer. The same rule applies to software that YOU create. Install the
software part on each computer. Sure, with word, or Excel, you might put
some documents (data) on the server, or in a folder and share it. However,
you still ALWAYS installed the application part (word, Excel, or now your
cool
application that you created with ms-access) on EACH computer. If you
installed word on the server for each user to run, then if one user
has a problem..then ALL users will have a problem. So, NEVER allow
multiple users to open the SAME mdb file. Split it....
So, all of these systems have the application part separate from the data
part, and you should do the same. The other great advantages of a split
system
is that you can now work on a "copy" of the application part while users use
the existing version of your application. Thus, you are now free to work on
a the next great version of your software, and fix code, add new reports
etc. When it comes time to update the software, you can simply distribute a
new front end to each user (and, you can do this because the DATA part is
NOT in the application part anymore).
There is a built in wizard to split your database into two parts..and it is
very easy. I highly recommend this approach if you are going to develop
software with ms-access.
you can read up about splitting here:
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/splitapp.htm