LDB Files - locked & unable to delete (1 Viewer)

Studenn

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Hi can anyone help. My database is running on a Citrix server. No real problems except that I am continualy being left with the database apparantly locked by another user. Am unable to delete the LDB file even when no other users are logged on. Is there a way of deleting LDB files in relation to stale Access sessions. I know that in normal circumstances these files close automatically. Problems seems to be occurring when the database is not exited properly or the connection to the server drops for some reason. I've tried loads but can't find a workaround.

Stuart Dennis
 

Noreene Patrick

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I am having the same problem!!!! Some one must be locking up the db at night and cannot find a locked db file but it gives message "The microsoft jet database engine stopped the process because you and another user attempted to change the same data at the same time."

Cannot get into the db for any reason and we are losing our data!! Can it be someone is attempting to do something? (i dont know what they do to cause this) or is it another problem somewhere? And how do we recover the db?

Thanks Noreene
 

FoFa

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We have found the OS seems to be locking it. If you go via Citrix Manager and remove all the sessions that are "hung" this will sometimes allow you to release the LDB (takes a few minutes usually for the system to see all the sessions are gone). Some times our network guys go in and remove the lock if it does not release after 10 mins or so. Worst case is reboot the Citrix server and remove it after it comes back up, we have had to do this also. Bout all I can tell you.
 

Noreene Patrick

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Ours is a Windows 2000 server...Any ideas on how to repair/access the db?
This has happened 3 times in the last week and we dont know 1) how it is happening and 2)how to retrieve or repair the db so we can access the data...

Could someone give me an idea?

Thanks in advance
Noreene
 

Studenn

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Hi Noreen.

Are you able to open the database window. If so suspect it is the same problem I had some time ago. I was using loads of Macros to trigger events attached to buttons on various forms. Proved to be very flakey. Had to revert to a backup on more than one occasion. My solution was to used tabbed forms rather than buttons.

Have tried creating a new database - then import just the tables. This may recover the data.
 

Noreene Patrick

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Thanks studenn

I cant open the db and no I didnt have a lot of macros....It wont let me do anything w/o giving me the message above...
 

ghudson

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All users of the db must have read/edit/delete permissions to the directory that the db is located in. The .ldb file will disapear when the last user has correctly closed the db [ie: no Ctrl+Alt+Delete!]. Also, you will continue to have problems if the db is not split. Each user must have their own copy of the front end to use.
 

Studenn

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Thanks - "Ghudson" I respect the advice you give have taken note of your many posts in the past and am usually able to find the answer I need.

In your opinion is the problem with stale LDB's an Access problem or a Citrix server problem?

I've also noticed the ldb seem to delete automatically after a period of time. Often after a few days the problem seems to resolve itself, as if by magic, overnight. Is there a routine built into Access that is controlling this and triggering the deletion of ldb's which appear to relate to stale sessions.

In any case I am looking at the possibility of splitting tha database. Only problem I have is that that different regions are using there own bespoke data sources. Could these be combined by linking in some way. They all hold the same data but for reasons of security access to Data in the different regions is limited to the region itself.

Your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Stuart Dennis
 

ghudson

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Access creates the record locking file (*.ldb) when the first person opens the db. As long as they and everybody else has full permission's to the directory that the db is located in. Access deletes the .ldb file when the last person with full permission's properly closes the db. The record locking file keeps track of each user in the db, it stores their user name, their computer name and the record that they are editing. You can view the .ldb file and see who is in the db by opening the .ldb file with any text editor like Notepad.exe. There are Access files floating around that will allow you to read the .ldb file but notepad is just as easy.

Everybody should have their own front end and all front ends should be linked to the same [one and only] backend which holds only the shared tables.

My only trip with Citrix was each user had their own directory which held their own copy of the front end. All of those front ends were linked to the one back end. Each user had to have full permission's [able to read/edit/delete files] to their directory that held their copy of the front end and they had full permission's to their directory that held the shared backend.

I do not think you have an Access problem, your users have a network file permission problem plus the fact the db is not split. When the locking problem occurs, ALL user's must reboot their PC to release the lock that one of the user's PC has on the database file. Your network guru's should be able to verify each users permission's to the directory that holds the db.
 
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Studenn

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Thanks - Looks like i have of got some work to do.

Stuart Dennis
 

Noreene Patrick

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ghudson,

What can you do if you do not have an .ldb file and the database is locked. Cannot open, retrieve the data or even copy tables, etc from it

We are powerless to get into it in any way....Dont know for sure what is happening to cause this...

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks, NOReene
 

ghudson

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Make a copy of the db before you attempt anything... just in case.

You need to have all users reboot their PCs. If that does not work then you need to have the server rebooted.

If you copy the db to your hard drive, can you open it? Can you import all of the db objects into another [brand spanking new] db?
 

Noreene Patrick

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Cannot do ANYTHING with the db...always says "The microsoft jet database engine stopped the process because you and another user attempted to change the same data at the same time."

Cannot unlock, access, export, import, NOTHING,,

Locked up so tight, no one can get any further than the error message, even the DB administrator!!

Cannot imagine what could have caused this and what to do...but I will say that this is the second time this has happened in the last week, we just had to get a backup copy and go from there...but we lost everything that was done between backups (only backs up at night)....(this always happens on 2nd shift). The db has been running just great until the last week, so we think maybe someone new is making a mistake and turning off the computer with power button and causing this...but not sure this is the cause.

Noreene
 

Studenn

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Ok. Looks like you will need to revert to your back - up. There must be something unstable in your Database structure. Try to simplify as much as possible. Use VBA rather than macros. When I had this problem it was caused by corrupt data in one or more of my tables. Once you have recoverd the back up have a detailed look at the data that has been entered. If you see "Error" entries then that may be the route of problem. Correct these errors then look at why these are happening. If this is the problem then you may need to change the way in which data is input. One of the changes I made was to to open all forms "view only". The build an edit/save/cancel routine when in edit mode. This allowed users to cancel their entries if they had made a mistakes - rather than leave the problem in the hope that it would be O.K.

Good luck.

Stuart Dennis
 
E

exp_cj

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I had a lot of problems like that a while ago. A superstitious colleague of mine told me that he reckons it happens when it forgets what onClick events your buttons are set to on some forms. I was very sceptical, but i did what he said. A lot of the onClick events were set to trigger [event procedure], but didn't seem to know which one (they should trigger specific macros). When i set all these back to trigger the right macros all those errors stopped.

but i think i gave up on the locked one and reverted to an earlier backup. We've never had the full lock problem since (touch wood).

It's a bugger to do, but i wrote down, on paper, what buttons are supposed to trigger which macros, cos it wasn't easy to work out with so many macros with similar names.
 

Severin

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I've experienced the same problem and could not find the solution anywhere... but after lots and lots of trying I came up with a very simple an effective solution. It's posted in a blog on www.databasemakers.com
 

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