File corrupted - recovery won't work

[Randall Craig]

I've been working on a database (about 800 records), simple scripts, about 40 fields, and about 10 layouts. When executing a particular script, (switch to layout X, sort, and go to preview mode), the entire application quit.

When trying to open it, it asked for the username and password, each time it wouldn't accept ANY of the passwords. (The passwords did work to open the file, and they also worked on a backup from 3 weeks earlier, so it wasn't a "dumb capslock" problem) The error message was that that particular username/password combo can't be used to access the file. I tried to import the file into a clone, but that gave me the same error.

I also tried to "recover" the file, both on the mac and on a PC, but to no avail: It says that the file is "either not created by filemaker, or is severely damaged and cannot be opened."

Any ideas? I've been using FM since v1, and have never come across this situation.

[Reed]

You might just be SOL.... I haven't had a file get corrupted yet in version 7 (knock on wood) but while I was developing my solution I would back it up daily. Now that it is in production (and storing financial information) It is automatically being backed up compressed and copied to redundant HDs and network server every hour. If you have v6, passwords can be recovered... but in v7, there is no way to recover passwords.

[gdurniak]

Call FileMaker Tech Support. They now offer a file recovery service that might be able to open the file, for a fee, http://www.filemaker.com/ti/107502.html

Also, please call so FileMaker is aware that corruption exists. There were rumors early on that FileMaker 7 was somehow crash proof.

If it's any help, I've posted a detailed article on file corruption here

http://masdevelopment.com:3455/1/57?view=print

gregory durniak