Corrupt Index and date problem?

[secretaryat]

Hi,

It started with a date problem in one of my tables - dates such as 8/16/87 were showing up as 8/16/2087. When I "corrected" these dates in the form, they disappeared! They were in the table still, but I can't figure out why they won't show up in the form. So I messed with it a little bit in the table, looking at other dates that were displaying correctly; all of a sudden all the records disappeared from the *table* and I got a "Corrupt Index" message. I tried to use Table Repair but "table is in use" and I can't close it because of the error.

This database was built on Paradox 5, and I recently switched to P'dox 10 when I got a new Windows XP computer. It has worked fine up till now (about 3 months), I noticed the date weirdness earlier but didn't try to fix it until now.

Please help! TIA!

Nicole

 

[jlockley]

You need to close out of Paradox, which can further corrupt (or save) your table any way you can, even to the point of a hard boot. Once P decides not to let you act, you can't do much else.

Once you have closed the program it's probably a good idea just to reboot anyway, then open paradox but not that file. Open the program again and just check the program with the repair utility.

It will probably tell you it is corrupt. Duh. If it does, then rename the associated .px file, delete anything in your working directory that ends in .lck or has a name like pdoxusrs and THEN try to run the repair tool. It will probably work, setting up a new .px file. If it does, delete the old renamed px file, unless you like things a little messy.

Note: If you can before you knock it off your screen violently first go to tools /settings/ preferences/ general and UNCLICK save on exit and restore on startup, since that will open your corrupt program again, which you won't be able to close.

Make sure every other db is closed down, by the way, before trying to stop Paradox, as closing down incorrectly is one of the best ways to corrupt files in the program.

I don't know about your date problem, but have you checked your board date recently? When batteries go they do bad things.

 

[secretaryat]

Thank you jlockley! I was able to restore the table from a backup copy. I got impatient and messed with it some more before reading your reply and *really* messed it up! Thank goodness for backups. Whew!

The dates are still screwy, and I don't know what a "board date" is. I have worked on this database on a laptop with a battery which may very well have gone bad, but I'm currently using a brand new desktop. It's not a big deal really, I can look at "2085" and think "1985", but I'm afraid it will affect things on down the line. Is there a quick fix?

Thanks, again.

Nicole

 

[Lewy]

Nicole,

Just a thought, how have you been entering the dates in the first place? I had similar problems earlier in the year whilst doing date calculations. You need to go into the BDE configuration program and set the year format to 4 digits, along with the same in Windows settings (in control panel). All dates must then be entered in a 4 digit year format in your tables. I would hope that this will cure the problem-it did for me. Just break the habit of a lifetime of using a 2 digit format........

If you need further info please do not hesitate to post again.

Regards,

Lewy.

 

[Langley]

I agree with Lewy. It's a setting problem in Windows. I set my windows four digit year format to y/d/yyyy. Also, I always force a four digit entry with the picture setting on the date field.

Mac

"Do not delve too deeply in the arts of your enemy and so become ensnared by them"

langley_mckelvy@cd4.co.harris.tx.us