Access - Common db Corruption Causes

Sorry for the link dump, but no point in re-writing what has already been written :

Specific for MS Access : http://allenbrowne.com/ser-25-01.html

Hope this helps !

I read through - thank you for the link. Further clarification is appreciated on whether a db can be corrupt file - without realizing it - until final shut down - that may affect prior functionality without realizing it. That is - queries, macros, etc. - might not have been optimal for a file.

I do a lot of file transfer - so the origin may have begin with this.

Do you mean if the DB can become corrupt while using it but you don't notice it until you close and open it again ?

About your last comment, if you copy a database while it's being used (the file is open), the copy might be corrupted because it wasn't synced, but the original should be ok, unless your copy operation force close it.

Exactly - can it become corrupt while using it - so some of the results are flawed - but I did not realize this - until I could not open the db at all.

I do save versions - but none of them worked.

Thanks.

@exp vg

Some common causes:

1. Using a JET/ACE database over a WAN - 95% of the time, a WAN does not meet the network needs for the database engine.

2. Using a JET/ACE database over a wireless connection - Wireless is subject to dropouts and high latency at times.

3. Open a JET/ACE database with something other than Access, like a word processor.

4. Anti-Virus software that scans and attempts a "fix" of the file.

5. Network issues - NIC's with bad drivers (not so common now), NIC's with diag or power modes that cause the NIC to disconnect from the network, bad cable, router, or switch, etc.

6. Inactivity timeout on mapped drives when a DB is accessed over a network.

Those are the most common.

Jim.

Thank you JIm. I am using a work computer - so I would think that a lot of protection issues are in place. However, I reached a point where I was not able to open the db - it initially hesitated while opening - but then I could not open this.

It seems corruption can happen even when there is a work computer.

To confirm - if the db had been corrupt for a while - is it possible that underlying queries/calculations were affected - but I was not aware.

<<To confirm - if the db had been corrupt for a while - is it possible that underlying queries/calculations were affected - but I was not aware. >>

 Possible, but not common.  Usually corruption causes things not to work and it is fairly obvious (you get errors).

 <<However, I reached a point where I was not able to open the db - it initially hesitated while opening - but then I could not open this.>>

 If this is a database in MDB format, you can try using JETCOMP.EXE, which is a standalone utility that does a compact and repair without opening the DB normally as Access would.

 To open a database, Access depends on the Database Header Page being sound.  If it's not, it will not be able to open the database.    JETCOMP.EXE does not try to log into the database, but works on it directly.

 A backup though is usually the best recovery.

Jim.

<<@Jim Dettman : Thanks, and sorry about that.>>

 No problem at all.  Just something that EE has changed policy on and we are slowly spreading the word as it comes up.

Jim.

Thanks Jim

So - if I am using the db - that eventually became corrupt - will all the objects created in it be sound? I did get errors - but I took them as formatting errors in what I was creating - but from what you were telling me - this may have actually been a warning.

Thanks Jim - this is what I have been seeing. I do not want to take up more of your time.

And unfortunately - what I have learned is that it does not matter if it is on a work computer either - which I thought would be more secure.

Thank you.