object saved in invalid format

[babs]

I was in our database and other people were in it just adding records and
printing reports- just Looked in design view - Access "Froze up" but let me
close and save the form I was in. when went to REOPEN the form- says "Object
saved in invalid format and can not be read". Also says this when Try to
copy to a New database -

How come This Happens???and what can I do to get the Form BACK??? tried the
import into other database and Compact and REpair - it was a brand new
"complex form with lots of VB code - so not back up - still in creating
stage- HELP!!

thanks,
Barb

 

[Jerry Whittle]

You should never try to open anything like a table, form, or report, in a
multi-user production database. Actually Access is suppose to stop that from
happening since about Access 97. As you can see, bad things can happen.

In the future have a development version of the database so that you can
make changes. Then migrate the updated mdb or accdb file into production. For
this to work well, you need to have the database split with the tables in a
Back End file.

For now you'll probably just have to recreate the form from scratch using
the latest version from a backup as a starting point. If you don't have a
recent backup, there's another lesson learned the hard way. I know the
feeling.

 

[babs]

Total Bummer - was afraid that was the case.

Not clear on the whole Split the database - are you saying that you can go
into design view and make changes -or even just view when other users are in
if the database is "SPLIT" what "part can you go in Front end or back end??-
Never really clear on what REsides Where and the whole understaning of it??
Help??

thanks,
barb

 

[Jerry Whittle]

There are two issues here.

1. You shouldn't make changes to the design of a database while users are in
it. That leaves two choices: (1) Kick all the users off or come in after
hours to make changes or (2) Have a copy of the database in a development
environment then move the latest, greatest into production.

The problem with (1) is that you need to stop people from working or you
have to work late or or weekends. The problem with (2) is how do you update
the data that has been added in the old database into the new database?

(2) can be mostly fixed by splitting the database into a Back End with just
the tables and a Front End with the reports, queries, forms, and such. You
just put out a new, updated FE while the production BE has all the current
data. You just need to relink the FE to the production BE. Of course this
assumes that the BE also didn't need any updating like adding a field to a
table. NOTE: The development environment should use a copy of the production
BE and not the real thing. It's all too easy to delete a table, or something
just as bad, and ruin your production data.

2. Splitting the database has many other benefits such as reducing the
chances of trashing the database due to corruption. Ideally you will have a
production BE on a shared network server and a copy of the FE on each user's
PC. That can help speed up things also. Here is some excellent info on
splitting from Allen Browne:

http://allenbrowne.com/ser-01.html

 

[babs]

Thanks for the advice. Read the suggestions - still a little unclear where
in a network environment all gets stored.

Seems that the Back end(Holds Tables) should go to the network that
everyone can get to.

as read literature about Front End - some places also states to save that
out on the network- Makes sense incase chang a form want all users to see
changes.
But don't still get risk of corrupting if Front end out on network and
others in it while modifying-or even just looking at design view???- Or are
we using Access based off of own computer and that is what helps it not get
corrupt???? - Is that the key part all usere have to have Access on own C
drive- still not clear even after reading lit.

Your prev. explanation of front end and back end helps a lot though!

Thanks,
barb

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Unless they're talking about having that a master copy of the front-end on
the network, with a procedure in place that automatically replaces the
user's version with a copy of that master front-end each time they launch
the application, the sites saying to have a copy on the network are wrong.
(Incidentally, see what Tony Toews has at http://www.autofeupdater.com for
how to do what I'm describing.)

In either case, all users must have Access on their hard drive: Windows
doesn't let you run Access (or any other Office application) unless it's
been properly installed.