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Cannot Open access file

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COII

IS-IT--Management
Oct 11, 2001
28
HK
Dear all

I have a big problem. I opened access file yesterday and everything is alright. However, when I re-open it today, there is an error message: "Unrecognized database format".

Can anyone help me?

Urgent!!!!


Manda
 
Are you opening it on a different machine with an older version of Access installed? eg 97 when the original database was an Access 2000 database?
 
No. I used Access 97 in same workstation.
 
One possibility is that - especially if you saved your last piece of work using the Save As command - you may have appended the wrong file extension to your database file. Worth a check anyway.
 
Have you tried importing the objects into a new blank database?
 
Thanks. Let me try it.
 
Dear all,

I try to use Import Method to take the corrupt mdb file. But It cannot work. It always show "Unrecognized database format". In fact, the corrupt file is located on Server. My colleague inputed data as usual. No environment factor is changed. Same Workstation, Same Version (Access 97). Why is it happen?

And, I know that a file called *.ldb will be automatically created after using mdb file. Will it can help me to repair?

I'm so sad about it because we haven't made backup.



Manda


 
Hi!

This is a long shot, but still, it might be worth trying.

I'm assuming, as suggested, that the file is corrupt. The corruption is almost always connected to the code, the data is commonly OK.

There's an undocumented thingie in Access, where you can decompile the code, leaving it in an uncompiled state, and then recompile it afterwards. Steps involved:

Exit Access (and make a backup of the corrupt file)
At the command line (Start | Run) type:
msaccess /decompile c:\directory\yourdatabase.mdb

Exit Access
Open the database (if this works, it might be wise with another backup, mayby try to import objects to another DB etc;-)
Enter any module and use Debug | Compile and save

Exit Access - and if this works (this has saved my #@$!¤ several times) next time you open it, it should work.

HTH Roy-Vidar


Real men don't take backup, but often cry...
 
Dear all,

Thank you for your advice. I follow the instruction, but everything remain unchanged. Well, I think that the file is completely corrupted....


Thank you.


 
Is it possible somebody on the network opened it with Access 2000? You can also try
"msaccess.exe database1.mdb /repair" OR "msaccess.exe database1.mdb /compact database2.mdb" on the Access command line
 
There is one more thing that has worked for me in the past. Make a copy, and then run the program Jetcomp.exe on it. This is an outside compression, not run from inside the Access program. It has helped me with a similar problem in the past. Does your database automatically compress overnight? Be sure to make a copy, and try this on the copy. Do not risk the original. Search Microsoft.com for Jetcomp.exe
 
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