"Error accessing file. Network connection may have been lost" problem

[JamieNC]

When opening forms, running macros and performing a number of other tasks using the MS Access db I have designed, the db refuses to perform the requested task and displays the following error message:

"Error accessing file. Network connection may have been lost"

I have consulted MS Office support where the problem is documented (

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q304548)

and is acknowledged as being a problem with Access. The problem apparently occurs when copying and pasting objects from 1 db into another. The support page says that the only solution is to revert to a 'good known backup copy' of the db. In order to prevent the problem from recurring when copying and pasting objects, support recommends compiling the destination db in the VB editor (by clicking Compile <<database name>> in the VB editor menu) before closing and saving the database.

I experienced this problem several weeks ago and rebuilt most of my db from scratch in order to avoid contaminating future versions with corrupted objects. However, despite doing so (and following the instructions given by support when copying and pasting), the problem has recurred. I have also found myself unable to recompile my db on a number of occasions (as per support instructions), as when clicking Compile <<database name>>, the message &quot;Error accessing file. Network connection may have been lost&quot; again rears its ugly head. This may or may not be connected to the fact that <<database name>> is often the name of the source db, as opposed to the destination db which I am trying to compile.

I am now faced with the propect of having to rewrite all db objects again in order to avoid further contamination of future versions of the db, with no guarantee that the problem will not recur.

Any suggestion you can make would be very much appreciated.

 

[mgmslate]

If you are using Windows XP try using an older version of the vbe6.dll file. Then create a new database and import from the old one. This solved the problem for me.

 

[thornmastr]

This is the problem I really hate. Luckily I have had it happen only twice, but that was enough. The first time was a user who got the problem immediately when he first started the application. Before the first form opened, he got the message. I checked the back end on the server and I could access it directly without any problem. Yet, when I tried to open this particular users front end, I got that nasty message. Luckily there is a master copy of the user front end on the server. I downloaded the copy from the server and everything worked fine. That problem has never reappeared at that site. Basically, this was simply corruption on this users front end.

The second time was at a very large client site. Unfortunately for me the user happened to be the VP for finance. His secretary had no problem at all. To compound the problem, the error occurred with a form up while executing a query. Again, the same form/query combination ran just fine from his secretary’s computer. To this date, I am not sure if the VP could not see the sweat dripping off my neck down my shirt collar. To me it was very obvious this was not a corruption problem at the front end, and if the back end was corrupt, how come the secretary could do what I could not.

I know that as far as MS is concerned this is a corruption issue, and I know how often MS has been proven wrong. Either by hunch or simple fear, I opened his computer, pulled the NIC, called the networking group, and got a brand new still in the box 3Com NIC.

As it turned out, the error message was correct. The network connection was actually being dropped. I’ve not had the problem at any client site since.

Always remember, Access is usually robust but it quickly sickens when feeding off of a bad NIC.

While this may not be the solution to the problem today, it may be the solution tomorrow.

Good luck.
Robert Berman
Data Base consultant
Vulcan Software Services
thornmastr@yahoo.com

 

[mckenneyj]

You should periodically run Comapact and Repair from Tools... Dtabase Utilities menu after a debug compile.
Now create an MDE file for the user to access.
Microsoft also advocates placeing all tables in one file and all other objects in another file and then linking to the tables.
The most common corruption is through use of the forms, queries etc.... If this happens now at least your data will be safe.

As far as the network error: I used to recieve that when using a database on a server that had slow hard drives ans was accessed through a hub instead of a switch.
1.) Shrink the file as noted above
2.) Change out hubs for switches
3.) Change to faster hard drives on server

A combination of these should fix your problem