Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!brunix!cs.brown.edu!pew From: pew@cs.brown.edu (Peter E. Wagner) Newsgroups: comp.databases Subject: Re: dbase files corrupt Message-ID: <70324@brunix.UUCP> Date: 29 Mar 91 23:36:40 GMT References: <31433@usc> Sender: news@brunix.UUCP Organization: Brown Computer Science Dept. Lines: 39 In article <31433@usc>, atieu@skat.usc.edu (Anthony Tieu) writes: |> Here is a little problem with dbase files we have. |> We can't get to a couple of fields in one of the records. |> When in edit mode, the cursor would jump(skip) over the |> fields. We can solve the problem by deleting that particular |> record and packing the database. |> |> Is this cause by corruption when people reboot the machine |> while the database is open? What happens when people do |> this intentionally or unintentionally. What is |> the solution people out there in the net is using? |> |> We have multi-user applications running on a Novell 286 2.15 |> network in using foxbase. |> I would try reindexing first. Generally the index files are what get corrupted, though DBF's go too. When reindexing, use "index on ..." rather than "reindex". Also, are you using memo fields? These are always suspect (my confidence is only medium, but I use them quite a lot). Many people avoid "pack" and use "copy for not deleted to " and then do a delete and a rename. This process removes extra space from the memo file that "pack" does not, and also avoids a reported pack-bug (some people swear it exists, others have never seen it - I have never seen it, and I've packed thousands of times). There are products that will "save" corrupted DBF's. I think they do a pretty good job, and should allow you to save the partially corrupted record. I wish I could give you names, but I don't remember any offhand. A quick search in a DB magazine like Database Advisor should yield results. -- ---------------------------------------------------------------- Peter E. Wagner pew@cs.brown.edu Department Computer Science Brown University ----------------------------------------------------------------