How to rescue a corrupt database?

[Sam Summers]

I have a database that seems to have become corrupted i.e it is giving out the message " Needs to be repaired etc." When I try to import the data to a new database i am getting the message that the database is already opened by another user etc. (see the attached screenshots)
Is there a way of saving the thousands of records that have been entered or am i on a loser?

Thank you greatly in advance if you can help at all

 

[jfgambit]

Have you tried to run a Compant and Repair on the database?

 

[ghudson]

Is there an .ldb file in the same location as the db? If so, I suggest rebooting all PCs that were in the db today to cut the connection that somebodies PC must have on the db.

Then I suggest that you try the free Microsoft Jet Compact utility. Click on the link below for the version of Access you are using. For more details, search the Microsoft Knowledgebase for Jet Compact. I have had a lot of success using Jet Compact to repair a db when I thought it was corrupted and Access could not repair itself.

Access 97: Updated Version of Microsoft Jet 3.5 Available for Download

Access 2000: Jet Compact Utility Available in Download Center

Access 2002: Jet Compact Utility Available in Download Center

HTH

 

[Sam Summers]

well guys, thanks for your help but it looks like I'm on to a loser!
I tried all suggestions but it is coming back as unrecognised.
It is actually an .MDE file and I have brought a copy of it home to attempt a repair but to no avail.
My next idea will be to ask if they have an old backup copy to restore.

Thanks

 

[WayneRyan]

Sam,

If it is an MDE file, then they will have a .MDB that they generated
it from. If they made a .MDE and never kept the .MDB then they
made a rather expensive error.

Wayne

 

[Sam Summers]

Hi Wayne

Thanks for replying.

I deployed it on their system as an .MDE to protect my code etc.
I have a blank .MDB but they may lose their data?

 

[WayneRyan]

Sam,

Oh no! I don't work with .MDE's much, but if they have pumped
a lot of data into, don't give up yet.

I don't know if you can import from it, but open a new blank db
and: Files --> Get External Data --> Import
and see if you can get it.

Failing that, you could try the Jet repair utility. There are links
here if you use the search facility.

Finally, the owners of this forum specialize in db recovery. You
might give that a try.

If you have the time, monitor this thread because ghudson,
Pat, Autoeng and others deal with this issue a lot more than
I do.

Failing all of that. Did they EVER do a backup while they were
typing in all of that data?

Wayne

 

[ghudson]

What version of Access was the MDE made from? Are you able to have somebody with a newer version of Access try to open it just in case somebody converted it to a newer version than what it was designed in. Although I do not know if you can convert an MDE to a newer version of Access.

I do know that you can not use the decompile option on a MDE.

If you are not able to import from or link to the tables in the MDE then you might be at the mercy of having to pay somebody to extract the data from the corrupt MDE so that you can import the data into your backup copy.

To late now but you should incorprate a backup function into the db since it is used by your client. Search this forum for the keyword "backup" and the user name "ghudson" and you will find some of the posts and code I have made on the subject.

HTH

 

[Sam Summers]

Thanks Guys for all your suggestions.

I have the corrupt MDE on a CD so I can continue to try various options although I have tried quite a few.
I have the developer software so I can convert any files to 97,2000 and 2002.

I am going in tomorrow to have a go at the problem for them as I have to deploy an updated version anyway.

We reckon that they have an un-corrupted version on a backup tape that I can import all the data from.

Thanks