Compact and Repair a Database

[Deb Swayze]

Since I got a new computer and they uploaded Access 2003 whenever I compact
and repair, it makes a copy of my database that is compacted but does not
automatically replace the big old version. Can anyone tell me how I tell
Access to replace the old version with the new compacted version?

 

[Allen Browne]

It should not behave that way, Deb.

This could be a permissions issue (e.g. if you do not have permissions to
delete files in that folder.)

If you do not have at least Service Pack 2 for Office 2003, you will want to
apply that. If you have SP3, then you probably want to ensure you have this
hotfix as well:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945674

If this happens with one particular database but not others, I suggest you
run through these recovery steps on that database:
http://allenbrowne.com/recover.html

 

[Fred]

In my more limited knowledge / observation, if you do it from "outside" the
database (i.e. with no DB open) it behaves as you describe it is and if you
do it from "inside" the db (i.e. with the DB open) it behaves as you wish.