I'm a self-employed engineer. I've been using dBase-IV(DOS) for years in a WIN (95/98/2000pro) environment with no problem. With no warning, I've suddenly received an error when I try to initialize "Password file is in use by another: DBSYSYEM.DB". There is no one else on my network - only me. I use dBase-IV to log my drawing numbers, PO numbers, project numbers, etc. The code was written by me 10 years ago and I've not ever had a problem before now. As a work around, I've been able to use MSACCESS to add new entries and search the log but it's just not the same. Anyone know what happened and how to fix it?
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dBase-IV on W2K-PRO
- Thread starter DavidSLee
- Start date
I have a dBase5 book which says this about Error 108: File in use by another - "The file you want to open is in use by another user on a multiuser system. Retry later. You will also receive this message when using the SET INDEX...NOSAVE option if another user has opened the .MDX file you want to use."
Have you checked the server to be sure no one else has an old session, such as when they crashed, that left old links that are still holding this file open? That happens to me a lot. Try rebooting the server just in case? Also, less likely, have you made any hardware changes recently?
Apparently the file you describe is a dBase IV system-level table that is not identical to what is used in my dBase 5. I might suggest asking if it has a corrupted index, but I'm not sure if there is one... So there is not much more I can add.
Have you checked the server to be sure no one else has an old session, such as when they crashed, that left old links that are still holding this file open? That happens to me a lot. Try rebooting the server just in case? Also, less likely, have you made any hardware changes recently?
Apparently the file you describe is a dBase IV system-level table that is not identical to what is used in my dBase 5. I might suggest asking if it has a corrupted index, but I'm not sure if there is one... So there is not much more I can add.
- Thread starter
- #3
Hey Mark,
Thanks for the response.
I should have mentioned that I get this error when I try to initialize dBase. I can't even open up my own code. dBase won't even initialize.
There is no server. It's a peer to peer. There are no other users. I've laid-off everyone else. There's only me here now. The network is not active. Maybe I'll try waking up another client and see what happens. How about if I move dBase to a Windows for Workgroups workstation and run it from there?
Yes, I tried rebooting.
Yes, I recently added a memory stick reader but I can't be sure if this problem arose immediately after that or not. I don't think it did.
I believe dBase is still the best data base manager ever and I suffered through the original dBase-IV fiasco where the programmer's book didn't correspond to the code. I didn't even know that there was a dBase-V or dBase Plus until this Monday. I thought I was the only one in the whole world who still used dBase. What happened to Aston Tate? Who is the publisher of dBase-V? Where can I buy it? How much does it cost? Can I transfer my dBase-IV code to dBase-V?
David Lee
Thanks for the response.
I should have mentioned that I get this error when I try to initialize dBase. I can't even open up my own code. dBase won't even initialize.
There is no server. It's a peer to peer. There are no other users. I've laid-off everyone else. There's only me here now. The network is not active. Maybe I'll try waking up another client and see what happens. How about if I move dBase to a Windows for Workgroups workstation and run it from there?
Yes, I tried rebooting.
Yes, I recently added a memory stick reader but I can't be sure if this problem arose immediately after that or not. I don't think it did.
I believe dBase is still the best data base manager ever and I suffered through the original dBase-IV fiasco where the programmer's book didn't correspond to the code. I didn't even know that there was a dBase-V or dBase Plus until this Monday. I thought I was the only one in the whole world who still used dBase. What happened to Aston Tate? Who is the publisher of dBase-V? Where can I buy it? How much does it cost? Can I transfer my dBase-IV code to dBase-V?
David Lee
I'd guess about 10 years ago Ashton-Tate's dBase was bought by Kaplan's Borland for about $350 million and shortly afterwards Microsoft one-upped him by buying FoxPro for half the price. At this time I think dBase is run somewhat independently. Likely your code will run on later versions with little or no programming changes.
In case it is a problem caused by a corrupted system file, have you tried reinstalling dBase, or recopying the system files from backups? If that still doesn't work, then either try another workstation or briefly uninstall that memory stick reader hardware to see whether it caused a conflict.
Here is a thread where somone posted recent dBase information including Windows versions. Others may know more about the current status of dBase.
thread290-500781
In case it is a problem caused by a corrupted system file, have you tried reinstalling dBase, or recopying the system files from backups? If that still doesn't work, then either try another workstation or briefly uninstall that memory stick reader hardware to see whether it caused a conflict.
Here is a thread where somone posted recent dBase information including Windows versions. Others may know more about the current status of dBase.
thread290-500781
- Thread starter
- #5
Hey Mark,
Thanks for your concern and additional input. Below is something I found about the history of dBase you may find interesting. I used the original dBase-II on an Apple IIe with a CP/M card in '79 or '80. That's how old I am!
I tried to reinstall dBase from the original 5 1/2" floppies but I got the same error.
"Wayne Ratliff
From 1969 to 1982, Wayne Ratliff worked for the Martin Marietta Corporation in a progression of engineering and managerial positions. He was a member of the NASA Viking Flight Team when the Viking spacecraft landed on Mars in 1976, and wrote the data-management system, MFILE, for the Viking lander support software.
In 1978, he wrote a database program in assembly language, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Passadena, California. He called it Vulcan (after Mr. Spock of Star Trek), that was based on Jeb Long's JPLDIS. This program was written to help him win the football pool at the office, which he marketed by himself from 1979 to 1980. Vulcan had its ups and downs and by 1980 was in what seemed to be a permanent down state.
Ratliff was born in 1946 in Trenton, Ohio and raised in various cities and towns in Ohio and Germany. He now resides in the Los Angeles area.
In late 1980 he met George Tate, who found the product worth while and entered into a marketing agreement with Ashton-Tate and renamed the Vulcan product dBASE H. Wayne had given up trying to sell copies of it for $50 each. George told him that he thought it would sell better at $695, so they made a deal and dBASE II was the result. In mid-1983, Ashton-Tate purchased the dBASE II technology and copyright from Ratliff and he joined Ashton-Tate as vice president of new technology. Ratliff was the project manager
for dBASE III, as well as designer and lead programmer.
The program was renamed dBASE II because they knew that version 1 wouldn't sell. It originally ran on a CP/M computer and then was moved over to the IBM PC.
Note there was never anyone named Ashton, it sounded better. Ashton was a maccaw (parrot) that was the unofficial mascot of Ashton-Tate."
Thanks for your concern and additional input. Below is something I found about the history of dBase you may find interesting. I used the original dBase-II on an Apple IIe with a CP/M card in '79 or '80. That's how old I am!
I tried to reinstall dBase from the original 5 1/2" floppies but I got the same error.
"Wayne Ratliff
From 1969 to 1982, Wayne Ratliff worked for the Martin Marietta Corporation in a progression of engineering and managerial positions. He was a member of the NASA Viking Flight Team when the Viking spacecraft landed on Mars in 1976, and wrote the data-management system, MFILE, for the Viking lander support software.
In 1978, he wrote a database program in assembly language, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Passadena, California. He called it Vulcan (after Mr. Spock of Star Trek), that was based on Jeb Long's JPLDIS. This program was written to help him win the football pool at the office, which he marketed by himself from 1979 to 1980. Vulcan had its ups and downs and by 1980 was in what seemed to be a permanent down state.
Ratliff was born in 1946 in Trenton, Ohio and raised in various cities and towns in Ohio and Germany. He now resides in the Los Angeles area.
In late 1980 he met George Tate, who found the product worth while and entered into a marketing agreement with Ashton-Tate and renamed the Vulcan product dBASE H. Wayne had given up trying to sell copies of it for $50 each. George told him that he thought it would sell better at $695, so they made a deal and dBASE II was the result. In mid-1983, Ashton-Tate purchased the dBASE II technology and copyright from Ratliff and he joined Ashton-Tate as vice president of new technology. Ratliff was the project manager
for dBASE III, as well as designer and lead programmer.
The program was renamed dBASE II because they knew that version 1 wouldn't sell. It originally ran on a CP/M computer and then was moved over to the IBM PC.
Note there was never anyone named Ashton, it sounded better. Ashton was a maccaw (parrot) that was the unofficial mascot of Ashton-Tate."
- Thread starter
- #7
VFP, I hear, is very good. I would also suggest dBASE 2000 from although it may not be quite as affordable as VFP.
Their site is maintained. So you know they will keep DBASE alive and current--see their "about us" link.
--MiggyD
Their site is maintained. So you know they will keep DBASE alive and current--see their "about us" link.
--MiggyD
Pardon me for straying from the subject. But someone mentioned dBase II for C/PM. For years have been on ver. 4 and 4.2 but still think 2 was best (existed in 2.0,2.4,2.45 etc. on CPM) and I still keep an old computer around with an interpreter so I can look at them. Lots fewer commands meant less to learn, but they could be combined so you could do almost everything you can do with the hundreds of commands now. No finds going to TOF, all-global variables, etc. all were great, and never an error problem.
- Thread starter
- #10
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