Urgent: Improper Shutdown Corrupted Database

[Mike Boozer]

My dbase was working great yesterday and I must have opened and closed it
100 times. I did a lot of form coding and my actual data is in a safe
backup. Anyway, I shut my computer down last night to prevent my kids form
accessing the computer. I did not follow noraml shutdown procedures and just
hit the off switch. When I started up this morning, I noticed an .ldb file
in the directory. It shouldn't have been there because I had not started
access yet. I blew it away and went to open the mdb file. I cannot open it
as access says it is corrupt. I recovered the ldb file from the recycle bin
and tried again but to no available. Actually, when I tried it again the ldb
file disappeared. From what I can gather, a lot of corruptions occur from
improper shutdowns. I tried some of the commercial fix utilities this
morining and all they recover are tables. I just want my forms back. It
seems like access or windows has a lock on this thing due to the improper
shutdown. Did I learn a valuable lesson this morning or is there a chance of
recovery? Thanks.

 

[Mike Boozer]

Okay Okay. I guess I learned my lesson. 12 hours of coding down the drain
but rebuilding is actually quicker than designing (looking on the bright
side).

 

[Ken Snell]

Did you try importing the objects from the corrupted database into a new
database? Create a new database and then use File | Get External Data to
import the objects. Often, you can get most/all of the information that way!

 

[Mike Boozer]

That's the problem Ken. I can't get the database to even open. Consequently,
I cannot create a new db and import from the corrupt one. I also tried
opening up the corrupt db in Access2000. It didn't do anything. Not even an
error message. I think when the computer was turned off improperly, even
though the access program was closed, really did things in. From now on, and
for the rest of my days, no more cold shutdowns!

 

[Ken Snell]

Ouch....hard lesson!

 

[TC]

(snip)

That's the problem Ken. I can't get the database to even open. Consequently,
I cannot create a new db and import from the corrupt one.

That doesn't follow. He meant:

- start Access directly (not by double-clicking the corrupt database file);

- create a new database; (nothing to do with the corrupted database can
possibly prevent you doing this);

- then use File:Import to try & import the objects from the corrupted
database.

HTH,
TC

 

[WSF]

Did you try the JETCOMP.exe recovery utility?
Not sure of your Access version, but it has saved our bacon more than once.
It works with the Jet database engines 3.x and 4.x for recovering corrupted
databases. It does not attempt to open and close the database before
compacting, and might be able to recover your database.
We have used it for compacting oversize mdb's as well as recovery of
"corrupt" mdb's. Not a cure-all but worth a try. Use it on a copy of your
corrupt database but.

Nothing like regular back-ups.
I've known the pain!

WSF

 

[Mike Boozer]

Hey TC and WSF: Thanks for the advice. As far as importing, goes, I tried
creating a new db and then importing the corrupt one. Won't work because
access has to open the databefore it can begin import. Also tried using
jetcomp.exe. Problem is I'm using Jet8 and MS doesn't have a jetcomp for
Jet8. I learned my lesson well and am just glad that I was smart enought to
keep my data in a seperate db when coding.