compact and repair works but yields corruption error message

[Mikal via AccessMonster.com]

I am running A2K on Windows 2000 on 6 local machines which house the front
ends. The back end is on a server 75 miles away. I know I shouldn't be
doing this over a WAN, but it is either that or nothing at all and I have
been getting away with it for over 2 years.

Recently, when I opened the backend exclusively and did a compact and repair
(after making a backup copy) I got the error message that Access can't open
the database file because it is an unknown format or maybe corrupt. However,
if I just open the file, it opens and everything looks OK. If I open a front
end everything works OK. And, if I look at the file in Windows Explorer, I
see that it has compacted from about 9.5 or 10 megs down to 8.2 megs.

I have opened the two tables which are most frequently updated and examined
the records and cannot find any that appear corrupted. I suppose as long as
things are working I can live with the situation, but I'm worried that they
may not continue working which will yield a situation I'd rather not live
with.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Mike Pippins

 

[Jerry Whittle]

Frequent backups. At times like this, nothing beats a good backup.

Tony Toews has an excellent web page on database corruption.
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/corruptmdbs.htm

Allen Brown also has excellent info on corruption.
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-47.html

I have a white paper in a Word document named Fix Corrupt Access Database
towards the bottom this page:
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/OtherLibraries.asp

 

[Mikal via AccessMonster.com]

Amen! And right after I do it this evening, I'll cruise to the sites you
reference for a little light reading. However, I'm not sure the thing is
actually corrupted. Maybe some of the literature you suggested will tell me.
Thanks
Mike Pippins

Frequent backups. At times like this, nothing beats a good backup.

Tony Toews has an excellent web page on database corruption.
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/corruptmdbs.htm

Allen Brown also has excellent info on corruption.
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-47.html

I have a white paper in a Word document named Fix Corrupt Access Database
towards the bottom this page:
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/OtherLibraries.asp

I am running A2K on Windows 2000 on 6 local machines which house the front
ends. The back end is on a server 75 miles away. I know I shouldn't be

[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]

Mike Pippins

 

[Joan Wild]

Don't count on it. Even though things appear OK, it could still be
corrupted. Failure to fix now could create a mess that's unrecoverable.
Don't ignore the message you're getting - it is a sign of corruption.

--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Amen! And right after I do it this evening, I'll cruise to the sites
you reference for a little light reading. However, I'm not sure the
thing is actually corrupted. Maybe some of the literature you
suggested will tell me. Thanks
Mike Pippins

Frequent backups. At times like this, nothing beats a good backup.

Tony Toews has an excellent web page on database corruption.
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/corruptmdbs.htm

Allen Brown also has excellent info on corruption.
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-47.html

I have a white paper in a Word document named Fix Corrupt Access
Database towards the bottom this page:
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/OtherLibraries.asp

I am running A2K on Windows 2000 on 6 local machines which house
the front ends. The back end is on a server 75 miles away. I know
I shouldn't be

[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]

Mike Pippins

 

[Mikal via AccessMonster.com]

Yes, Ma'm. I am nothing if not obedient. Especially when two such
luminaries are giving me stern warnings. When I compacted and repaired this
evening, I did not get the error message after the proceedure as I have very
often lately. Should I take it that the problem is fixed at this point? Or,
should I examine each table (in a copy) of the backend record by record to
see if anything is amiss? Is it possible that me doing the compact and
repair from 75 miles away from the server might have something to do with it?
(actually, I need to quit speculating and read the information Jerry Whittle
was kind enough to recommend. I think I'll go do that now)

Thank you both for your time. I'll post back after I get a little better
educated.

Mike Pippins

Don't count on it. Even though things appear OK, it could still be
corrupted. Failure to fix now could create a mess that's unrecoverable.
Don't ignore the message you're getting - it is a sign of corruption.

Amen! And right after I do it this evening, I'll cruise to the sites
you reference for a little light reading. However, I'm not sure the

[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]

 

[Joan Wild]

If I were you, I'd copy the backend to my local machine, create a new mdb
and import everything just to be sure; then copy it back.

You should also stop compacting over a WAN, or are you doing this via
Terminal Services/Citrix?

You can add code to the frontend so that local users compact the backend
when they close.


--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Yes, Ma'm. I am nothing if not obedient. Especially when two such
luminaries are giving me stern warnings. When I compacted and
repaired this evening, I did not get the error message after the
proceedure as I have very often lately. Should I take it that the
problem is fixed at this point? Or, should I examine each table (in
a copy) of the backend record by record to see if anything is amiss?
Is it possible that me doing the compact and repair from 75 miles
away from the server might have something to do with it? (actually, I
need to quit speculating and read the information Jerry Whittle was
kind enough to recommend. I think I'll go do that now)

Thank you both for your time. I'll post back after I get a little
better educated.

Mike Pippins

Don't count on it. Even though things appear OK, it could still be
corrupted. Failure to fix now could create a mess that's
unrecoverable. Don't ignore the message you're getting - it is a
sign of corruption.

Amen! And right after I do it this evening, I'll cruise to the
sites you reference for a little light reading. However, I'm not
sure the

[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]

 

[Mikal via AccessMonster.com]

The situation is that the WAN is the only network there is and the server is
in Baton Rouge. I and All my users are in Covington, 75 miles away, so the
users compacting will be substantially the same as me doing it. We do have a
CITRIX connection available and I can try using that. However, it is not
always stable and most of us who have it use it for checking email when
logged onto a machine not our own. I expect, from what you said, though that
it will have the effect of a machine local to the server doing the compact
and repair. If that is correct, I will gladly start using it for that
purpose.

Vis-a-vis copying the backend and importing all the tables into a new .mdb,
Most of the paperwork load is lifted for a few days, so I'll start Monday.

I read Jerry Whittle's step by step instructions for stamping out corruption
and suspect that some of it may be coming from code that won't compile. I'm
getting rid of that as fast as I can. When I started this project 2 or 3
years ago, all I knew about Access was how to spell it and the db sort of
growed like topsy--wild and free.

Thank you for all your help.

Mike Pippins

If I were you, I'd copy the backend to my local machine, create a new mdb
and import everything just to be sure; then copy it back.

You should also stop compacting over a WAN, or are you doing this via
Terminal Services/Citrix?

You can add code to the frontend so that local users compact the backend
when they close.

Yes, Ma'm. I am nothing if not obedient. Especially when two such
luminaries are giving me stern warnings. When I compacted and

[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]

 

[Joan Wild]

So your users are also working in the mdb over a WAN? You should definitely
have everyone running the mdb via Citrix then.

Read the following:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Wan/Wans.html
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/terminalserver.htm


--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

The situation is that the WAN is the only network there is and the
server is in Baton Rouge. I and All my users are in Covington, 75
miles away, so the users compacting will be substantially the same as
me doing it. We do have a CITRIX connection available and I can try
using that. However, it is not always stable and most of us who have
it use it for checking email when logged onto a machine not our own.
I expect, from what you said, though that it will have the effect of
a machine local to the server doing the compact and repair. If that
is correct, I will gladly start using it for that purpose.

Vis-a-vis copying the backend and importing all the tables into a new
.mdb, Most of the paperwork load is lifted for a few days, so I'll
start Monday.

I read Jerry Whittle's step by step instructions for stamping out
corruption and suspect that some of it may be coming from code that
won't compile. I'm getting rid of that as fast as I can. When I
started this project 2 or 3 years ago, all I knew about Access was
how to spell it and the db sort of growed like topsy--wild and free.

Thank you for all your help.

Mike Pippins

If I were you, I'd copy the backend to my local machine, create a
new mdb and import everything just to be sure; then copy it back.

You should also stop compacting over a WAN, or are you doing this via
Terminal Services/Citrix?

You can add code to the frontend so that local users compact the
backend when they close.

Yes, Ma'm. I am nothing if not obedient. Especially when two such
luminaries are giving me stern warnings. When I compacted and

[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]

 

[Mikal via AccessMonster.com]

It'll never happen. They just won't do it. DITRIX is not stable--at least
it isn't for us. Some days it works great, others you will grow old and grey
waiting for the simplest things to happen. The good news is that we are
purchasing a commercially produced database based on SQL 2000 in the near
future. So if my home brew database can just limp along a few more months it
won't be an issue any more. in the meantime, I am making daily backups and
doing what I can to improve those things I have some contgrol over.
Mike

So your users are also working in the mdb over a WAN? You should definitely
have everyone running the mdb via Citrix then.

Read the following:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Wan/Wans.html
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/terminalserver.htm

The situation is that the WAN is the only network there is and the
server is in Baton Rouge. I and All my users are in Covington, 75

[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]

 

[Tony Toews]

It'll never happen. They just won't do it. DITRIX is not stable--at least
it isn't for us. Some days it works great, others you will grow old and grey
waiting for the simplest things to happen.

Whereas a client has had five or ten users from the other end of
Canada using a Citrix server and it worked very, very well. Your IT
department needs, well, something.

But you already knew that.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Mikal via AccessMonster.com]

That's way beyond my expertise and I really wouldn't want to speculate. I
always sort of thought it probably had something to do with the phone lines
that everything has to go through.

Mike

 

[Tony Toews]

That's way beyond my expertise and I really wouldn't want to speculate. I
always sort of thought it probably had something to do with the phone lines
that everything has to go through.

That is indeed the most likely explanation. But that's up to your IT
department to chase those kind of problems down and have the telco fix
the problem.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Mikal via AccessMonster.com]

I'm just guessing, but I think I am the only remote Access user. I think
everybody else with much contact with Access is sitting next door to the
servers and just doesn't have a problem. I've always been a little hesitant
to complain about something that will cause a lot of headaches for other
folks when it isn't a widespread concern -- especially if I can get by on my
own -- seems a little like the tail wagging the dog to me.

Anyhow, I tried a compact and repair using CITRIX as per Joan Wild's post and
it ran like greased lightening, so I'll be using it a lot more in the future.
If it looks like CITRIX will be stable, I'll see about migrating my users'
frontends off their local hard drives and into their folders on the network
drive so they can use it. I've only had one other person on it, and she
refers to it as "The Dreaded CITRIX Connection."

Many thanks.

Mike