Odd (Japanese/Chinese) characters in my security dialogs

[DeborahK]

I have been using Microsoft Access for several years. Suddently, today I have
odd (Japanese or Chinese) characters in most of my dialogs ... especially any
to do with users and workgroups.

Does anyone have any idea what would cause this and how I fix it?

Thanks!

 

[Klatuu]

corruption. Try decompiling and compact and repair. If it were exclusive to
users and workgroups, I might suspect corruption in the mdw file, but I have
not ever heard of a corrpution problem in an mdw.

 

[DeborahK]

What do you mean by decompiling?

I have tried the repair option (Help | Detect and Repair). It starts with a
progress dialog and then Microsoft Access disappears ... it just closes
without a message.

 

[DeborahK]

BTW ... this is happening *before* I attempt to open any database. So it does
not seem like a problem with a specific database file...

 

[John W. Vinson]

What do you mean by decompiling?

I have tried the repair option (Help | Detect and Repair). It starts with a
progress dialog and then Microsoft Access disappears ... it just closes
without a message.

That repairs your installation of MSAccess.exe - *not* your database.

I'd suggest opening your MDW file - SYSTEM.MDW in the \Windows\System folder
if you don't have a custom one - in Access. Open Access and use File... Open
and navigate to the .mdw file. It's a special use file, but it's just a JET
database!

Then use Tools... Database Utilities... Compact and Repair.

It's possible that the MDW file is irretrievably damaged and will need to be
recreated. This can be done even if you've secured databases, but it's a
*real* pain in the neck. Now which file folder in the file cabinet has the
unique WorkgroupID used to create the workgroup....???

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[DeborahK]

When I try that, the system says that the file is in use. I assume it is
because it is set up as the Workgroup file. Is there any way to set *no*
workgroup file so I can repair this one?

Also, I have found that it is much more than the security dialogs that are
messed up. I tried to copy the database into another database and the dialog
that lists the items to migrate are all these same odd characters.

 

[DeborahK]

I created a new .mdw file so that I could repair the original one
(system.mdw). I then repaired the system.mdw file. It did not help.

 

[John W. Vinson]

I created a new .mdw file so that I could repair the original one
(system.mdw). I then repaired the system.mdw file. It did not help.

Sounds like the database itself is corrupt. Hope you have a good backup!!!

Did you check Tony's Corruption FAQ?

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[DeborahK]

Interesting thing is that it is messed up in Access *before* I open any
database.

I wonder if I have a corrupt default system.mdw file. I tried creating a new
one ... but it does not help.

Is there somewhere I can download a "clean" system.mdw file?

(I have tried reinstalling Access twice and it did not seem to give me a
system.mdw file.)

 

[John W. Vinson]

Is there somewhere I can download a "clean" system.mdw file?

Not that I know of, but - assuming you can get Access open on this, or another
computer - you can create one. Tools... Security... Workgroup Administrator,
select Create, and go through the dialog with only the basic options.

If you'ld like I could email you one - post your email address (munged, e.g.
username <at> domain <dot> com to prevent spammers from grabbing the address)
and the Access version you're running.

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[DeborahK]

deborahk AT insteptech DOT com

THANKS!

Not that I know of, but - assuming you can get Access open on this, or another
computer - you can create one. Tools... Security... Workgroup Administrator,
select Create, and go through the dialog with only the basic options.

If you'ld like I could email you one - post your email address (munged, e.g.
username <at> domain <dot> com to prevent spammers from grabbing the address)
and the Access version you're running.

John W. Vinson [MVP]