Memo file is missing or is invalid

[kburrill]

Occassionally, one (or more) users on our network will receive the "Memo file ... is missing or is invalid" error when trying to start our foxpro program (and the program won't start).

When this happens, some people can still start the program & view the table that was listed in the error message.

Also, the person(s) with the error can later start the program without any problems, even though nothing (that I know of) has been done to fix it.

This has happened with more than one different table.

Does anyone know what is causing the error? The table itself seems fine.

Katherine

 

[Mike Gagnon]

Memo fields corruption is often related to a problem network (ie: power failiures, lost connections...). It's usually not related to VFP. You may consider stabilizing the network. UPS on the servers, good cables, good network cards etc...

 

[Walid]

This means some file(s) with Memo fields has been corrupted – very famous weak point in Fox specially in 2.x – It is extremely dangerous to continue using the file after giving this error, Fox will loss the one to one relation between Memo fields in the DBF and their corresponding locations in the FPT file even though the table can be opened after giving this error, as a result when you attempt fixing the problem later it will be already too late.
Fox Fix is one of the most reliable programs to handle this problem, it even gives you the required FLL library to integrate its functionality in your application through your own error handler, it is available at

http://www.hallogram.com/foxfix

. Another choice is Dsalvge

http://www.hallogram.com/dsalvge/index.html,

I didn’t use my self.

Hope this will help
Walid Magd
Engwam@Hotmail.com

 

[SBTBILL]

Noted you said that the file was working on other machines and would resume working on the machine it failed on the first time. Agree with what was said before but, will add one thing. When a VFP table opens it is actually opening several files. A table, a memo file and an index in most cases. If you have an issue that is stopping this from happening such as to few files available that might be part of the problem. However, if you get the program open after the message and the memo field is disassociated from the table you will get corruption and data loss.

Bill Couture