Database breeding like rabbits

[amw0830]

Whenever I open and close a database, it creates a copy of itself in the same
directory (db1.mdb, db2.mdb, etc). I have checked the database properties and
the RelicateProject option on the Custom tab is set to No.

Any ideas on where else to check?

 

[John W. Vinson]

Whenever I open and close a database, it creates a copy of itself in the same
directory (db1.mdb, db2.mdb, etc). I have checked the database properties and
the RelicateProject option on the Custom tab is set to No.

Any ideas on where else to check?

I suspect that the database options are set to "Compact on Close", and that
you don't have full read/write/create/delete/rename privileges on the folder
containing the database. When Access compacts a database, it creates a new
database named db1 (etc.), copies everything from the current database into
it, and then (if all went well) deletes the old database and renames the new
one. This process is getting interrupted!

Open the latest of the new databases and see if there is a "CompactErrors"
table. Also make your own backup - test it!!! - and try Tools... Database
Utilities... Compact and Repair rather than letting it compact on close. See
if there are any errors, and if the database size shrinks appropriately. Fix
any errors; be sure you have complete permissions on the folder in Windows;
and I'd suggest that you turn Compact on Close *off*, and just compact
manually when the database doubles in size.

 

[amw0830]

That's the problem. I have unchecked the "Compact on Close" option and that
fixed the problem.

Thanks so much for your help.

 

[John W. Vinson]

That's the problem. I have unchecked the "Compact on Close" option and that
fixed the problem.

Well... it fixed the symptom. If your compacts and backups aren't working
(because of folder permissions or something wrong with the database) you
should fix that situation!

 

[David W. Fenton]

I'd suggest that you turn Compact on Close *off*, and just compact
manually when the database doubles in size.

COMPACT ON CLOSE is a useless feature under the best of
circumstances (it will compact only the front end, which doesn't
really need to be compacted; if you're not split, your database
probably doesn't work very well to beging with), and it is DANGEROUS
under the worst, potentially causing you to lose data that would
otherwise remain accessible if you didn't compact.

No one with any sense who has bothered to give the subject any
careful though uses COMPACT ON CLOSE.