Backup of Database

[FIECA]

Here's a question I hope someone can help me with. Since I am constantly
updating my database, making changes to it, I create backup copies before
major changes, so that if the changes backfire on me, I can go back to the
previous version. However, when I make the backup copy, the backups are
invariably smaller that the "main" database file. If it was only a
negligible amount I woudln't sweat it, but we are talking some major size
differences here. For instance, I backed up my 52Mb database, and the
backup file was only 28Mb. Should I be concerned about this? Does anyone
know why? I just want to make sure I am not losing anything. So far I cant
find where any of my data, forms, reports or queries are missing, so I am
assuming that there is another explanation. I was thinking that the backup
copy is somehow compacted, but I run the "compact and repair database" tool
pretty frequently. Anyway, I am dumbfounded at how this happens. I just
want to make double sure that the backup I am creating is in fact a complete
duplicate of the original, otherwise I may be shooting myself in the foot.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Tom Pratt

 

[Joan Wild]

How are you doing the backup? I just use Windows Explorer and make a copy
of the file. That shouldn't change its size at all.

 

[FIECA]

Joan,

I am using the "Backup Database" function under "Tools->Database Utilities"
on the standard Access menu.

 

[Joan Wild]

I would just copy it in Windows Explorer. I've never used the backup
command within Access.

 

[Guest]

I jsut did a little testing on this. The backup you are using does do a
compact and repair before it creates the copy. I had one that I know I had
not compacted in a while, so I used it to create a backup, it went from 158KB
to 25KB. Then I compacted the original and it came out to the same size as
the backup. You are not loosing anything. Doing development in an mdb
creates a lot of bloat, so that is why you are seeing the extreme difference
in size.