how2gn01.htm

How to fix a database that has become "corrupt."

Scenario: A computer connection or I/O error has left a database in an unsettled state and the user receives a "database corrupt" message.

1. Note which database is stated as being corrupt. This is critically important.
2. Exit the module back to the Main Menu.
3. Click Utilities, Monitor. View which other employees are on the system. You should not attempt to repair a database if there's a possibility that a user might currently be using its data. If you do, there's a fair possibility that data loss will result as the repair module can only fix what it can access, and it won't be able to access things that a user might have "open."
4. Be sure to tell all users to exit the system before you proceed.
5. Close the Monitor, and exit Club Office yourself.
6. Open My Computer, then open the disk drive letter on which Club Office is installed. You may have to ask your system administrator for help. You'll know which drive it is if you see a cdco folder and when you open the folder, you see many programs and data files that will likely be listed alphabetically.
7. Look through the cdco folder until you find the mdbfix.exe program. You'll know which it is because it is the only one with a green triangle icon:
8. Double-click on the mdbfix.exe program to start it.
9. In the center column, click on the database that was reported as being corrupt.
10. At the bottom of the center column, click ADD TO LIST. (If you received a message that cited more than one corrupt file, select them one at a time and each time, add them to the list. The data files listed in the far right column are those that will be re-indexed and repaired.
11. Click the GO button. You will receive a confirmation message.
12. Click YES to confirm the repair.
13. The dark gray helpwindow at the bottom of the screen highlights the workings of the program. When it's done, you'll receive a message box in the middle of the screen.
14. Click OK on the message box.

Warning: We do not advise repairing all data files as a catch-all in the event you cannot remember which database requires repair. The MDBFIX module actually recreates and reorganizes the database based on whatever data it can glean from the original structure. There is always a danger in doing this -- if, for instance, you were doing this over a network and the network connection was lost during the process, there's a very high possibility that the database will then be permanently damanged and unrecoverable. Fixing it at that point requires restoring from a backup.

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