FIELDS SUDDENLY GO BLANK

[Glint]

Hi Guys,
I was surprised to find important fields of certain tables in my database
suddenly go blank as if someone deleted them. I had copied the back end
(Access 2002) into a flash and later transferred this back end to my laptop
(using Access 2003), XP Home Edition.
Initially, I would get an error message to the effect that "Access could not
find field 'Description' referenced in the database". When I went to my
desktop in the office, which has the same back end transferred from the same
flash, there was no problem I could find. The machine in the church where the
database is being used and from where the back end was copied does not seem
to have any problem either.
Please help me sort out what went wrong as I use the laptop to monitor the
database.

 

[golfinray]

I would try the linked table manager and relink your BE to the FE.

 

[Glint]

Thanks for your suggestion, Golfinray. But that did not help.

 

[Glint]

Additional Details:
Now I recollect that I received a word document (2007) that did not open
until I downloaded a file format converter. Could this have been responsible?

 

[Glint]

Eh Guys,
You have to help me out, PLEASE!

 

[John W. Vinson]

Hi Guys,
I was surprised to find important fields of certain tables in my database
suddenly go blank as if someone deleted them. I had copied the back end
(Access 2002) into a flash and later transferred this back end to my laptop
(using Access 2003), XP Home Edition.
Initially, I would get an error message to the effect that "Access could not
find field 'Description' referenced in the database". When I went to my
desktop in the office, which has the same back end transferred from the same
flash, there was no problem I could find. The machine in the church where the
database is being used and from where the back end was copied does not seem
to have any problem either.
Please help me sort out what went wrong as I use the laptop to monitor the
database.

Have you tried Tools... Database Utilities... Compact and Repair? If not, do
so ON A COPY of the database.

Copying to a flash drive could perhaps cause data loss or data corruption.
Making a fresh copy might help, as might compacting the database. Another
alternative would be to make a Zip file (use Windows Explorer to "send to a
compressed (zipped) folder") and transfer that zipped file to the laptop, and
expand it there.

 

[Glint]

Thanks, John.
The database is set to compact on close. So compacting did not help.
Interestingly, the back end does show the missing fields when I open it. But
when the front end connects to it, the fields are blank. This happens ONLY on
the laptop. The flash drive does not appear to have problems as the back end
shows all fields when I attach the flash to the laptop or another machine.
I have recopied the front end and relinked the tables, yet the problem
persists. I have also put the zipped file onto the laptop as you suggested,
still the problem remains.
It also appears that this problem is with this one database alone, and this
laptop only.
Please help.

 

[John W. Vinson]

Thanks, John.
The database is set to compact on close. So compacting did not help.

That's possibly the problem. There have been a LOT of reports of databases
being damaged by compact on close, and most of the MVP's I know are
recommending that this feature be turned off.

Interestingly, the back end does show the missing fields when I open it. But
when the front end connects to it, the fields are blank.

Then simply open the frontend on that computer; DELETE THE TABLES (which of
course just deletes the link, no data); and use File... Get External Data...
Link and create a brand new fresh link.

 

[Glint]

Thanks again, John.
I will take note of the compacting advice henceforth.
Meanwhile, I have tried deleting the tables and re-linking them without
getting my fields back. I even deleted the back end and front ends from the
laptop, put them back, and the problem persisted.
But then it seems to me that the problem is from the linkage. This is
because all versions of the front end that connect to this back end
demonstrate the same problem, while the back end on its own appears intact.
And only on the laptop; all other machines have no problems.
I am totally confused.

 

[John W. Vinson]

Thanks again, John.
I will take note of the compacting advice henceforth.
Meanwhile, I have tried deleting the tables and re-linking them without
getting my fields back. I even deleted the back end and front ends from the
laptop, put them back, and the problem persisted.
But then it seems to me that the problem is from the linkage. This is
because all versions of the front end that connect to this back end
demonstrate the same problem, while the back end on its own appears intact.
And only on the laptop; all other machines have no problems.
I am totally confused.

Me too. That is totally bizarre. Just one computer (the laptop) and just one
database???

 

[Glint]

Yes, John.
Just the laptop. And only one database, which happens to be the back end to
many front ends, all of which manifest the problem.

 

[John W. Vinson]

Yes, John.
Just the laptop. And only one database, which happens to be the back end to
many front ends, all of which manifest the problem.

I would try creating a new database, *on the laptop*; and using File... Get
External Data... Import to import all of the tables from a working backend. It
may be some subtle system table corruption.

 

[Glint]

Now John, you won't believe it but it is getting weirder.
The back end db opens with my 'Zone' field displayed. I delete the link on
the front end and import the table directly into it as you suggested. And the
new table still shows a blank 'Zone' field on the front end. I am even more
confused.
If the corruption is in the front end, then why does it still show up after
I delete the front end entirely and replace it? Why does it affect previous
versions of the db? The corruption can only be in the laptop. The question is
what, where, how?

 

[John W. Vinson]

Now John, you won't believe it but it is getting weirder.
The back end db opens with my 'Zone' field displayed. I delete the link on
the front end and import the table directly into it as you suggested. And the
new table still shows a blank 'Zone' field on the front end. I am even more
confused.
If the corruption is in the front end, then why does it still show up after
I delete the front end entirely and replace it? Why does it affect previous
versions of the db? The corruption can only be in the laptop. The question is
what, where, how?

Roll out the heavy artillery: first, do a thorough scan of the laptop with at
least two reputable antivirus programs. If that doesn't help, COMPLETELY
uninstall Office, defrag, and reinstall.

 

[Glint]

Thanks again, John.
I guess I have no choice than to use the heavy artillery.