These are a series of steps designed to help you determine what
the problem is, and to offer some suggestions on how to recover as much of your
database as possible.
First and foremost, try not to panic. I know it seems, and
may very well be, that you have a big problem. However, panic can hamper your
ability to fix things and even cause you to make errors that cause more
problems. Get a cup of coffee, take a short walk, however you blow off some
steam - do so, then come back and begin.
The first thing to try is the Jetcomp utility. If you don't have it, download
from Microsoft:
If that doesn't solve your problem, work your way down this table. The flow
is down as you answer questions.
| Are you not able to
open the mdb or is the mdb
open and you can't open a table? |
| Can't open mdb
|
Can't open table |
| Can you open any file on this
computer? |
Is the table in the mdb file
you have open, or is it attached? |
| Yes, I can open other files
|
No, I can not open other files
|
Table is in MDB |
Table is in attached db |
| Can you open another mdb on
this computer? (Copy in another mdb if necessary.)
|
Sounds like the computer.
Move the files you need, if possible, or just sit back and wait for the
computer to get fixed. |
Can you open another table in
this mdb? |
Open (in the database window)
the db that actually has the table. Run through these steps again.
|
| Yes, I can open another mdb |
No, I can not open another mdb
|
Yes, I can open another table in this mdb
|
No, I can not open another
table in this mdb |
| Try creating a new db and
importing objects, one at a time, from the corrupt db. Still no good?
See When All Else Fails, below. |
Sounds to me like the server's
copy of Access is kaput. Try moving the db you can't open to another
computer and see if you have better luck. |
Sounds like you've just lost the
one table. Create a new db and import all other objects. Create a second
new db and try to import the bad table. Try to create a query based on
this table - basically, try anything to get at the data for this table,
but try it in isolation from all other objects. Nothing? See When All
Else Fails, below. |
Can you open any object in this
mdb? |
| Yes, I can open another object in this
mdb |
No, I can not open another object in this
mdb |
| This would indicate the data tables have
been hosed. Again, try creating a new db and importing objects one at a
time. It may be just one table. Save your most recently used table (if
you know) for last. Still no good? See When All Else Fails,
below. |
Try creating a new db and importing
objects, one at a time, from the corrupt db. Still no good? See When
All Else Fails, below. |
| When all else fails:
Contact an Access Database Recovery Service
Editorial Note:
Read our
Access Database Corruption Repair Guide |
Hope this helps,
Keri Hardwick
(4 votes) 
