• Home

DataMole
Data Recovery Resource

Microsoft Access Data Recovery

There are a number of factors which may result in an MS Access database file being damaged, and a wide variety of possible symptoms, ranging from missing records to the database file being completely inaccessible. Some of the most common causes of database corruption are:

• If the database is shared amongst many computers then you can suspect problems with record locking, or network hardware such as a switch, server, or cable run, or mismatched client versions
• Abruptly terminating Access, such as ending a process using Task Manager, or powering off the system without doing a shutdown first, may interrupt a database write, causing the database to be marked as corrupt
• Another cause of corruption is radio frequency (RF) interference from network cabling near fluorescent lights and industrial or office equipment.

As in any data loss situation, the first priority is to make a backup of the data, to the extent that this is possible. This should preferably be done on another computer or media, as there is a slight possibility that the media in question is failing.

The Compact and Repair utility in Microsoft Access is a useful tool that can recover and optimise Access database files. The Compact utility eliminates empty space in a database by creating a new destination database and copying each object in the old database to the new database. The Repair utility tries to repair the tables, queries, and indexes in the database, but not the forms, reports, macros or modules.

If a Compact and Repair does not succeed, the database is corrupted and recovery will require detailed knowledge of database procedures. At this point, if you do not have a backup, it is advisable to seek the services of a specialist, or find more information on Microsoft's website.

http://support.microsoft.com