Corruption!!

[Javawag]

Form corruption whenever I edit anything!

Hi all,

I'm experiencing a problem with my database - sometimes when I edit any form (even just adding a textbox triggered it earlier) it causes major problems. After I've finished editing, if I click close and choose "Yes" to saving, the form no longer opens in any view mode (i.e. is corrupted?). If I click the save button on the toolbar, access crashes and when it restarts the form doesn't open as before (or, rarely it opens but doesn't show the changes I made since the last (working) save)! It's a pain as I'm trying to make what should be very minor changes to a couple of forms and every time I go to save I find I have to restore from a backup and make the changes again! It doesn't happen all the time, but I often find myself doing things repeatedly (once up to 10x before it finally worked)!!

I've tried creating a new database and importing everything, same problem. The database itself isn't running off a network, I'm developing it on my USB flash drive - so that couldn't be the reason, could it?

Any ideas what I can do to stop this corruption? I'd love to start again with the database but I've spent 7 weeks developing it and don't fancy redoing everything given the deadline for its completion at the moment is this Monday!!
- Javawag

 

[Rabbie]

Which Version of Access are you using? Have you applied all the relevant patches?

 

[Javawag]

Which Version of Access are you using? Have you applied all the relevant patches?

Sorry, I'm using Access 2003 - I'm not sure which patches (if any) are installed, as it's a work computer. How can I find this out?

- Javawag

 

[WIS]

Sorry, I'm using Access 2003 - I'm not sure which patches (if any) are installed, as it's a work computer. How can I find this out?

- Javawag

Go to Help -> About Microsoft Office Access.

If you have SP3 there are bugs in it that can be fixed via a Microsoft patch called a "hotfix" - you can find it on the Ms site.

 

[Javawag]

Go to Help -> About Microsoft Office Access.

If you have SP3 there are bugs in it that can be fixed via a Microsoft patch called a "hotfix" - you can find it on the Ms site.

Ahh, I didn't see it on the about form before . It turns out I have SP3; is there any way to find out if I already have the hotfix installed? The problem is to install it, I'll have to phone the IT department as I don't have permissions to install anything on here.

- Javawag

 

[WIS]

Ahh, I didn't see it on the about form before . It turns out I have SP3; is there any way to find out if I already have the hotfix installed? The problem is to install it, I'll have to phone the IT department as I don't have permissions to install anything on here.

- Javawag

I don't think the "hotfix" will solve yr problem - I put this in to alert newbies and others of the A2003 SP3 problem and solution.

Do you have CompactOnClose set from Tools->Options->General or do you run Compact and Repair.

 

[Javawag]

I don't think the "hotfix" will solve yr problem - I put this in to alert newbies and others of the A2003 SP3 problem and solution.

Do you have CompactOnClose set from Tools->Options->General or do you run Compact and Repair.

Oh ok. I don't use CompactOnClose because I'm always opening and closing my Database and it gets quite tedious. However, I do perform a Compact and Repair on it daily.

- Javawag

 

[WIS]

Oh ok. I don't use CompactOnClose because I'm always opening and closing my Database and it gets quite tedious. However, I do perform a Compact and Repair on it daily.

- Javawag

This is a wild guess - run /decompile on the db. You seem to have very major corruption.

Here is a site to explain and help on decompile:

http://www.fmsinc.com/MicrosoftAccess/Performance/Decompile.asp

 

[missinglinq]

Note that even though it may not solve your probelm, you absolutely have to make sure that the hotfix is installed! It has some major bugs that will bite you sooner or later! Ask your IT people if it’s been installed and don’t let them blow you off! It has to be done!

Allen Browne delineates the problems caused by SP3 and gives a link to the hotfix:.

http://allenbrowne.com/bug-Access2003SP3.html

As to your current problem, it certainly sounds as the database itself is corrupted. You're one of those rare poster that basically answers all of his own questions! The USB flash drive is, in all probability, the culprit here! Being in forced retirement for the past three years, I've spent about 12 hours a day/7 days a week cruising/contributing to half a dozen Access sites as well as moderating one other, and this problem with dbs developed on or transfered between PCs using USB flash drives, is common! Sorry, I know that wasn't what you wanted to hear!

Once again, Allen Browne has some excellent strategies on preventing and recovering from corruption:

http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html#Corrupt

Start by getting the thing off the flash drive and make a backup copy before you attempt anything!

Good luck!

 

[Javawag]

Note that even though it may not solve your probelm, you absolutely have to make sure that the hotfix is installed! It has some major bugs that will bite you sooner or later! Ask your IT people if it’s been installed and don’t let them blow you off! It has to be done!

Allen Browne delineates the problems caused by SP3 and gives a link to the hotfix:.

http://allenbrowne.com/bug-Access2003SP3.html

As to your current problem, it certainly sounds as the database itself is corrupted. You're one of those rare poster that basically answers all of his own questions! The USB flash drive is, in all probability, the culprit here! Being in forced retirement for the past three years, I've spent about 12 hours a day/7 days a week cruising/contributing to half a dozen Access sites as well as moderating one other, and this problem with dbs developed on or transfered between PCs using USB flash drives, is common! Sorry, I know that wasn't what you wanted to hear!

Once again, Allen Browne has some excellent strategies on preventing and recovering from corruption:

http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html#Corrupt

Start by getting the thing off the flash drive and make a backup copy before you attempt anything!

Good luck!

OK, so I'll get it off my USB drive and into my documents on the PC! The only reason it was on the flash drive in the first place was that I was hotdesking at work - but now I have my own desk.

I've run a /decompile before, but I'll do that again and compact/repair in between as the allenbrowne.com site says - I'll let you know what happens!

Thanks,
- Javawag

 

[missinglinq]

Good luck to you!

 

[evanscamman]

I also have 2003 with the latest patches. I think I regularly get your same kind of corruption. It happens to me when I have been opening, closing, editing, and saving forms for a few hours. Perhaps, Access is leaking memory or something, because suddening I will get "These is not sufficient memory to perform this operation." Once this error pops up, ANY form that I save will be corrupted, and often the last one to have been saved before the error is corrupted as well.

After restarting, the corrupted form will never open in design or form mode.

I have learned to backup often, and never click save once I get this message. However, once a form is corrupt all is not lost. I still can view its VBA module, and copy and paste may lastest code into the last backup of the form. This way I only lose some design changes but no code.

As your error sounded similar to the one I regularly experience I hope this may help you.

Evan

 

[WIS]

I also have 2003 with the latest patches. I think I regularly get your same kind of corruption. It happens to me when I have been opening, closing, editing, and saving forms for a few hours. Perhaps, Access is leaking memory or something, because suddening I will get "These is not sufficient memory to perform this operation." Once this error pops up, ANY form that I save will be corrupted, and often the last one to have been saved before the error is corrupted as well.

After restarting, the corrupted form will never open in design or form mode.

I have learned to backup often, and never click save once I get this message. However, once a form is corrupt all is not lost. I still can view its VBA module, and copy and paste may lastest code into the last backup of the form. This way I only lose some design changes but no code.

As your error sounded similar to the one I regularly experience I hope this may help you.

Evan

Very interesting - I am also running A2003 SP3 but I haven't bothered to run the "hotfix". I've identified about 5 bugs which affect me, but only 1 (the format in the tbl) gives me any problems. I have a workaround for that. To this stage I've experienced no problems as you've described.

 

[GaryPanic]

"As to your current problem, it certainly sounds as the database itself is corrupted. You're one of those rare poster that basically answers all of his own questions! The USB flash drive is, in all probability, the culprit here! Being in forced retirement for the past three years, I've spent about 12 hours a day/7 days a week cruising/contributing to half a dozen Access sites as well as moderating one other, and this problem with dbs developed on or transfered between PCs using USB flash drives, is common! Sorry, I know that wasn't what you wanted to hear!"

Now thats handy to know as i have been having hissy fits transfering a d/b by usb flash - now i know its not me ...

I can now get round this

 

[Javawag]

OK, just to report I've transferred to the hard drive but unfortunately the corruption situation is about the same! All I do now is backup really often so I can get back quickly, and as evanscamman points out, it's only form design changes that are lost as VBA can be saved!

- Javawag

 

[missinglinq]

Getting it off of the USB flash drive isn't going to get rid of the corruption, of course. Once it's present it's going to stay present unless you can purge it. The point was having it pon the drive may very well have caused it.

Have you taken any steps to tyr to get rid of the corruption? Sometimes you can, sometimes can't.

Allen Browne has an entire page on the subject:

http://allenbrowne.com/ser-47.html

 

[Javawag]

Getting it off of the USB flash drive isn't going to get rid of the corruption, of course. Once it's present it's going to stay present unless you can purge it. The point was having it pon the drive may very well have caused it.

Have you taken any steps to tyr to get rid of the corruption? Sometimes you can, sometimes can't.

Allen Browne has an entire page on the subject:

http://allenbrowne.com/ser-47.html

I understand that. I've only really decompiled it and done various Compact/Repairs, but I must say the problems are a lot less frequent (I hope I didn't just speak too soon!!)

Thanks for the help!
- Javawag

 

[evanscamman]

Also remember, if you get "Not enough memory to perform this operation" error, exit Acces without saving any open forms. This will limit the number of corrupt forms that you have to deal with.

Evan