Foxpro 2.6 running under Windows XP reports Error 15

[mikethorpe]

I have a multi-user application running Foxpro 2.6 and 2 pc's have operating system Windows XP Professional (SP2).

There are other pc's running Windows 2000 and Windows 98 which work fine but intermittantly the Xp pc's report the error 15, 'not a database file'.

I then have to run FOXFIX which fixes some of the databases and then I reindex the databases and everything is fine again.

Does anybody know why the XP pc's cause the Error 15 and what can be done to prevent the intermittant problem occuring.

MikeThorpe

 

[SSDESIGN]

When I encounter the "Not a Database File" error, most of the time I traced it back to shutting down the FPD application by powering down the computer without quiting out of the program. By performing a non-standard shut dowm, the end of file marker is not written to the DBF. As a result, when FPD checks for the end of file marker when it opens the DBF, FPD reacts as if the file is not a DBF.

Suggestions:
1 Make sure all operators perfore a standard shutdown of the program.
2 Do not leave the program running when not being used - Lunch, overnight, weekends.
3 Install UPSs on all machines .
4 Run FOXFIX weekly.

 

[mikethorpe]

Thanks for the reply but the problem isn't as you have assumed.
When an XP pc gets the 'Error 15' error the other pc's on the network continue to work ok and on getting everybody out of the systme and then running Foxfix it doesn't find anything wrong with any of the databases.

The problem just appears to be local to an individual XP pc.

 

[DSummZZZ]

Make sure that if you have an antivirus app running that it ignores data files for your app.
Other than that, make sure you don't have any network hardware issues or driver issues.


-Dave Summers-

Even more Fox stuff at:

http://www.davesummers.net/foxprolinks.htm

 

[CHOLEWINSKI]

MIKE,
DID YOU EVER FIGURE OUT THIS? I HAVE A CLIENT GETTING THE SAME THING NOW. FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN WIN 98SE AND XP COMPUTERS MULTIUSER FOXPRO FILES...

LET ME KNOW
FRANK C.
FORT MILL, SC
10:08PM 12/06/05

 

[dbMark]

There is no single answer to this problem. Each user has to check different fixes until one is found that works. Unfortunately, there are just enough differences between Win98 (with DOS under the hood) and WinXP (just emulates DOS) that what fixes one person's issues doesn't necessarily work for another.

In thread182-1150762 on 11/15/2005 I listed several potential causes and your problem might be any one of them: opportunistic locking, buffering, patches needed for FP 2.6, patches for Windows, etc.

Two alternatives if you can't fix it:

Keep in mind that FoxPro 2.6 is a DOS program that is now well over 10 years old. As much as we all wish it weren't the case, it is old code that has had only a few patches released in all those years. You really need to upgrade to Visual FoxPro, convert and/or redesign. All VFP versions, even the latest 9.0, can create compiled applications that are compatible with Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP and 2003.

Also, Windows 98 was sold when most computers were only 233-500 MHz. Today's computers are so much faster and cheaper, shouldn't your customers consider replacing those computers that must be 5 to 6 years old?

Please don't get me wrong, I know those computers still work fine, but it's just a matter of practicality. Even Microsoft has stopped providing security updates for Win98/98se/Me. Why do your customers trust older Windows versions that surely have multiple critical security issues that Microsoft now ignores? From a business perspective, it may be time to limit your product compatibility specifications or support to newer versions of Windows.

dbMark