Damaged Database

[ssimons]

Recently we upgraded our FMP server to FMP 8. We've run into some problem with our databases that were running just fine on FMP 7. One of the databases showed up in our event log last night saying it was damaged and being closed. Now we can access it, but as a read-only file. Is there a "FIX" program that can be run on the server to fix a damaged database and if there is how can we run it against this database. I'm not sure if this is where this question belongs or not, but any help would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if it should be moved.

[Lee Smith]

There is no "fix" program.

The only fix is to revert to a recent "clean" backup copy, one that has never failed, and then import your data into it.

Lee

p.s., I moved this question to the Server Topic Area since it was the Server that crashed and cause the failure, not the fact that they were changed from v7 to v8.

[ssimons]

Thanks for the info Lee and I don't mean to sound dumb, but how would we revert back to a good copy of the database?

Do you know if there is a way to convert a database that is opening in read only to a read write database?

[ssimons]

Well, the problem wasn't that the file was corrupt, the problem is when they put the disk that had all the FMP databases on it into the server they rebuilt the files all because Read-Only. Not sure how this happened, but I went over and on the server and unchecked the Read-Only, closed and reopened the database and now everything is find. Thanks for the help.

[Lee Smith]

Do you have a clean copy of the file?

You can change the Properties of the file from Read Only to Read/Write by selecting the file at the Desktop level, and then Right Button, Properties, General. Keep in mind that the file has been subjected to the possibilities of corruption, so don't trust your data to it.

If you don't have a pristine copy of your file, you should recreated it and then import the data into it.

HTH

Lee

[Lee Smith]

Before you redo the files, wait for the response to your question in the other thread.

[ssimons]

With this database we deleted and then import records into it from a download done out of our main company database (Apprise) before using it anyway so it doesn't matter if the data was wrong because we refreshed it. Thanks again for taking the time to give me a hand.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

OK, there is some confusion here. The read-only drive issue is one thing, but there are other elements new to FileMaker Server 8 about which all developers and IT Adminsitrators should be aware.

First take a very careful, patient, and detailed look at FMI Tech Info Note # 5371, that says in part:

FileMaker Server 8 performs additional consistency checks on files that were not closed properly, or have never been opened by FileMaker Server 8, and logs the result of the check.

The goal of the consistency check is to help ensure the integrity of files hosted with FileMaker Server 8. If any type of damage is detected in the file, it will remain closed, and a message will be generated in the event log with instructions on what to do next.

So, examine your files when first hosted by FMS 8 to see what damage may have been detected.

HTH

Steven