Strange Characters Corrupting Database

[Guest]

I have an access 2003 database setup on our network.
Frontend on windows xp pro. Backend data on Windows Server 2003.
All OS and office updates have been done on all machines.
My problem is that I am having occasional data corruption in the form in
some fields of some records. The database itself does not become corrupt but
data in the corrupt fields has to be re-entered.
I found mention of this problem that was relate4d to the auto correct
feature of access 2003. I have recreated the fe/be databases with this
feature disabled with no effect.
Any other help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Michael Gilliam

 

[Allen Browne]

What kind of fields are corrupting? Are they memos?

Do multiple users log into the database at once? Does each user have their
own copy of the front end?

Is the WinXP machine up to date? What version of msjet40.dll does it have?
(Typically the file is in c:\windows\system32.) Right-click and choose
Properties. The Version tab should show at least 4.0.8xxx.0.

If none of those apply, the next most likely cause is a flakey network card.
It may be a matter of logging users in and out, to identify the computer
that is not logging out.

For a more complete list, see:
Preventing Corruption
at:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-25.html

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia

Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

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news:[email protected]...

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the response. Here are the answers to your questions:

What kind of fields are corrupting? Are they memos?

Random fields, but all text...No memo fields are being corrupted. But they
do exist in some of the tables.

Do multiple users log into the database at once? Does each user have their
own copy of the front end?

Yes. Multiple users log into the database at once and all workstations have
their own copies of the front end database.

Is the WinXP machine up to date? What version of msjet40.dll does it have?
(Typically the file is in c:\windows\system32.) Right-click and choose
Properties. The Version tab should show at least 4.0.8xxx.0.

All workstations have had all XP and Office updates installed.
msjet40.dll is version 4.0.8618.0

If none of those apply, the next most likely cause is a flakey network card.
It may be a matter of logging users in and out, to identify the computer
that is not logging out.

I will have to look into the log in/out issue. I checked the windows server
2003 and each user is only logged in once, also checked the .ldb file on
server and each workstation is listed only once and all have admin rights.

I can try looking into bad network cards but any other ideas are welcome.

Michael Gilliam

 

[Allen Browne]

To log user in/out, create a table, and use your start up code to append an
entry recording which computer the user is on:
http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0009.htm
and their user name:
http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0008.htm

Keep a hidden form open, so that it will close only when the user closes the
database. In the Unload event of this form, exuete another entry recording
that the user logged out.

The machine where someone is logging in but not logging out is the one to
investigate. Either the user is killing Access with Ctrl+Alt+Del, or just
flipping the power switch off, or perhaps the hardware is faulty (computer
hanging or overheating and resetting itself), or the network card or
connection is faulty. This machine is your #1 suspect for the interrupted
writes that cause the corruption.

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia

Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

message

 

[dbahooker]

Dude;

I didn't know that they were so good at growing dipshits down under..
I mean seriously-- at this point; I wish you were living under a
Japanese Flag

the answer is:

a) MDB is unreliable. It has always been that way. It randomly
corrupts.
- these kids try to blame it on networks.. I mean get real
b) SQL Server / Access Data Projects is a friggin great solution
- ADP works over VPN, WAN, LAN, Wireless, Public Internet.
- the score is like 10 vs 0 - do the math
c) fire anyone using MDB and then spit on them

 

[dbahooker]

btw; SQL Server comes with tools like sp_who and 'profiler' so you can
tell who is in your database without writing anything!