Client losing database - dropping to 1KB

[quickemr_groups]

I have a VB6 application that manages the data in an Access 2002
database. This one client has had his entire database wiped out twice
now. I have no clue what can be causing it.

His normal database size is about 15 MB. It resides on a network where
3-5 people access the database at the same time. I have 100 clients
who all have the same setup. For some reason, his database drops to 1
KB.

I was going to attach the database, but can't. Can anyone allow me to
send it to them via email so that they can even guess what is going on
here?

Thanks,

David

 

[Jerry Whittle]

1 kb ins't an Access database. Even an empty Access 1.0 database took up 16 kb.

Are you sure that it isn't an .ldb file? They are about that size.

Something is deleting the database file. I'd make sure that only valid users
have permissions on that folder. I'd also consider moving it to another drive
or folder.

I'd also set up one or more backup routines. Maybe a nightly tape backup
plus something that puts a copy of the database on someone's hard drive.

 

[quickemr_groups]

It's not an LDB file. That was my first thought as well because of the
size. It still has the MDB extension. I was dumbfounded the first time
he called and I saw the size of his database. We restored form a good
backup and moved on from there. Now it has happened again. This user
would not know how to overwrite the database file to have something
like this happen. They simply open my program from their desktop add
and edit data with it, and go home.

When you open this file in a text editor, it seems like it is at least
the beginning of an Access database, but something went awry. I can't
understand how so much information could be lost.

I created an empty database and opened both files side by side in a
text editor. The screenshot is at www.quickemr.com/Bad_clientDB.JPG if
anyone wants to take a look.

Thanks,

David

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

It's not an LDB file. That was my first thought as well because of the
size. It still has the MDB extension. I was dumbfounded the first time
he called and I saw the size of his database. We restored form a good
backup and moved on from there. Now it has happened again. This user
would not know how to overwrite the database file to have something
like this happen. They simply open my program from their desktop add
and edit data with it, and go home.

When you open this file in a text editor, it seems like it is at least
the beginning of an Access database, but something went awry. I can't
understand how so much information could be lost.

I created an empty database and opened both files side by side in a
text editor. The screenshot is at www.quickemr.com/Bad_clientDB.JPG if
anyone wants to take a look.

Definitely not the LDB file all right. Unless you are opening the
file directly in binary, that is using a Print #, Write # or Put,
which is exceedingly unlikely, there really is nothing you could be
doing in your program to cause this problem.

So the problem is somehow at the client site. Maybe someone has a
bizarre program associated with the MDB extension and opens and saves
it.

And how do you convince the client?

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[quickemr_groups]

Definitely not the LDB file all right.   Unless you are opening the
file directly in binary, that is using a Print #, Write # or Put,
which is exceedingly unlikely, there really is nothing you could be
doing in your program to cause this problem.

So the problem is somehow at the client site.  Maybe someone has a
bizarre program associated with the MDB extension and opens and saves
it.    

And how do you convince the client?

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
   Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
   Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems athttp://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
   Tony's Microsoft Access Blog -http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well, to make matters worse, this just happened to another client at a
totally different site. They had a backup, but it was from
August...grrrr.

-David