Datafiles damaged

[Jalz]

Hi Team,

I've got a client whose been using my application for the best part of a year. He is hosting it on a Windows Server, with FM Server 5.5 and using Exec Backup to his entire drive.

We had a hard drive meltdown, so we restored his drive, and all the applications were working as before the harddrive went down (so we thought.)

The restored FileMaker Pro databases aren't opening, i've tried using the FM Pro and recover and I've had absolutely no luck. The Message I get is "Invoices.fp5" was not created by FileMaker or is severely damaged an cannot be opened.

Any chance of someone guiding me to a utility or advice that will help me extract the data out of my "corrupt" datafiles and into the cloned set I have.

Just cant understand why FM Server didn't allow the files to be backed up to tape. I read now I should have created a schedule first, but its too late for that now.....

[RalphL]

If your client has paper copies of the invoices, use them to recreate the file.

You might try opening the files in a word processor and see what you can find thay way. There used to be program called Can Opener that could read data from files.

[Jalz]

Thanks for your advice RalphL

I've opened up the files in a word processor, unfortunately the text just says "This is padding!!" - weird?

Any other ideas?

Cheers

[transpower]

Have you attempted Recovery?

[Mania]

Anyone know why during an update from the FM server, one of my files (being remotly accessed) closes. I get have of my update/transfer and then it closes. ANy ideas? I am basically updating a matched set.

[Jalz]

Hi transpower,

Yes I've tried to recover files using the FM Pro Recover command, but no luck. It seems as though "according" to my client, that Exec Backup is corrupting the "backed-up" files whilst writing to tape.

Im going down to my clients tommorow, he says he has two other tape backup sets, but I dont have much faith in them.

Any reason why the files would say "This is padding!!" when I open them up in Notepad.

[-Queue-]

Are you using Server to backup the files and then Exec Backup to move the files to tape?

[Jalz]

Hi Queue,

Nah, I wish I was! Im using Exec Backup to backup the hosted files which are in my FileMaker Server folder.

[-Queue-]

There's your problem. You can't backup hosted files. Server's backup pauses the hosted files on users' machines and closes them so they can be backed up properly.

[Partha]

Hi,

Do u still have the original drive that had a meltdown?

If yes, and nothing was loaded on the drive, ur best bet wud be to get data recovery done on the drive & use ur FMPro files from there.

The files u have in the backup are temp files that were copied while FileMaker Server had the files loaded, so will not be treated as FileMaker files by the FMPro server / client.

In case the meltdown hard drive is not available, you cud try opening the files through a data fork editor and setting an "end of file" tag - though i must admit that it has never worked for me!

[bruceR]

Nah, I wish I was! Im using Exec Backup to backup the hosted files which are in my FileMaker Server folder.

Well, that is a pretty clear contradiction of Filemaker server required practices. That is a practice that is pretty much guarunteed to cause file damage. So you are directly responsible for the file damage and all related recovery expenses.

[Jalz]

Thanks Guys,

Well...went down and checked all backups, andd data is corrupt on each set. Expensive lesson to learn, but Im going to try and export data out of quickbooks in the next couple of weeks and import them into mt FM Datafiles.

P.S you can back up hosted files on the Mac using Retrospect and they can be restored fine..........

[bruceR]

Nope. Same story. Guarunteed file damage. You MUST use Server to pause the files and create the backup files, then THOSE files can be backed up with Retrospect but Retrospect should not be running on the server machine.