Characters in Access Table

[Guest]

I have an access table, which in turn feeds a form and reports, somehow a
couple of my records got corrupted with chinese characters, and has rendered
these records useless. Additionally, I can't delete or inquire on these
records as it automitically ends the access programs and ask me to save as a
backup. Does anyone have any idea what this is and how to fix it?

Thanks.

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Ken

First, make a backup.

Have you tried using the Compact & Repair feature?

Now, look for a (previous) backup. Do you have a copy before the
corruption? Can you re-enter the data since the backup, but before the
corruption?

If none of these work, create a new (duplicate) table (empty). Append all
records EXCEPT the corrupt ones (this only works if the primary key isn't
what's corrupted). If that didn't work, try appending all records preceding
the first corrupt record. Then all between corrupt records. Then all
following the last corrupt record.

Does the new table work? If so, delete the corrupted table and rename your
new table back to the old name.

Good luck!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[Guest]

At times like this, nothing beats a good backup. In fact make a complete
backup of your database now and put it away for safe keeping.

Tony Toews has an excellent web page on database corruption.
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/corruptmdbs.htm

Allen Brown also has excellent info on corruption.
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-47.html

I have a white paper in a Word document named Fix Corrupt Access Database
towards the bottom this page:
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/OtherLibraries.asp

Now to help you more directly. Is the field in question a Memo data type? If
so there is a way to recover most of your data. First you need to find the
records that have the problems. Write down the primay key data for those
record.

Next create a query that returns all records EXCEPT for those with problems.
Make this a Make Table query.

After that create an append query that excludes all the records EXCEPT for
those that have problems. If possible exclude the problem field(s). Use this
append query to add the data to the new table. This way you'll only lose
parts of the bad data.

However the database is still corrupt and if a Compact and Repair doesn't
fix it, you'll need to create a new database file and import everything,
except the corrupt table, into the new database file.

 

[Dan Bochnovic]

I'm having the same problem. We are in a multi-user environment. At first, I thought the issue was user based- erratic clicking. I have now narrowed it down to 2 users accessing the same record.

The first user calls up the record. The second user searches for the same record, using a combo box pulldown. The second user can not find the record. The first user reports that the record becomes corrupted on the screen, with out any key or mouse strokes. Users have said, "It just jumps"

All the fields in the record become corrupted. Most look like Chinese, some are small squares, some currency fields turn to scientific notation. Sometimes the primary key is toast. Repair does not work. Sometimes I can delete the record. Other times I have to copy the good data back to a new file.

Never has a related record become corrupted. I about 3000 records in my main table.

I’m researching better ways to look up records. A feature that the good people at Microsoft have seem to left out of the product.

I’m looking for suggestions for stopping the corruption or a very good record lookup form.


EggHeadCafe - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Dan

Are both users sharing a single FE, or does each user have a copy of the FE
on his/her PC? (hint: the former can cause corruption)

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[Guest]

I, too, am having the same problem as the above. The database is clunky and
being entirely re-designed, and so we are just living with what we have until
this happens. Sometime in the distant future, just before never.

I am not looking to prevent the problem. It is too late in the day for that.
Rather, I just want to fix what I have. I know the data is lost. I have daily
backups, but we still have corrupt data that has crept in. And we need the
current data, too.

My problem is I can't delete these records, and they are ruining my stats!
If I roll back, I am in trouble. I can't just make a new table and copy to
it, as the primary key is an auto-number. Therefore, I also can't just slot
in the good data from a backup, back into the database. If I convert the
auto-numbers to normal numbers, I won't be able to get back.

So, Jeff has talked about the cause. Can anyone help me with a solution?

P.S.
Sorry if this is not clear. Running on very little sleep atm.

 

[Pieter Wijnen]

You *can* slot in autonumbers from backup via Append Queries
Make a New Table 2 x, change pk to long int in #1
append whatever data you can rescue to #1
Append the data to #2
Rename #2 to original

HtH

Pieter

PS Obviously keep a backup of the corrupted db, till everything is hunky
dory

 

[Guest]

Do you know of a Jetcomp utility available for use with Access 2003?

 

[Pieter Wijnen]

Its the same as for all Jet 4.0 Databases.
Don't use JetComp 1.0 though, That only works for 3.51 (Access '97)

HtH

Pieter