Damaged cannot be opened

[LaRetta]

Very strange. Only one User received this error and only once ('copy of FM is damaged...'). I am not at work so don't know the specific error wording. Other Users can sign on as her and perform the same task without error. It happened when she performed a search - simple find on standard field (process has been in place and not modified for 2 years).

Do you think our file is damaged? Or is it localized to her system? How will I tell? I would be nervous trusting our served copy when I don't understand what is wrong! The error may never happen again but I don't want to dismiss a possible corruption. I told her to reboot her system but I don't know what to do about our file! Help please!

LaRetta

[Steven H. Blackwell]

It said that the copy of FileMaker Pro is damaged or did it say that the file is damaged?

What do the Event logs for Server say?

Steven

[LaRetta]

Hi Steven,

The User couldn't remember. I might be able to tell if I go to Event View, System? I can sign on remotely. Users have all left now. I'll see what I can find out. I'm very concerned about our served file. I'm just unsure how to pinpoint the problem at this point or what to look for.

I will check events right now. But I don't have access to her system - only the served file.

[LaRetta]

Event Viewer Application has all blue info's - no warnings even. The same with Event Viewer System and FileMaker Server8. Served system shows no problems today. I closed all databases and stopped the service and signed on stand-alone (nobody but me knows how to get to it). It opened fine - didn't even get scanning message.

Does this mean that my file wasn't damaged and that it was the User station acting up?

[Wim Decorte]

Hi L.

If you know the approximate time it happened, read through the FMS event entries for that period anyway, see if it shows anything that you don't expect.

Could it be that there is another file involved somehow? Maybe a local file?

[LaRetta]

Hi there Wim!

Events are clean (on Server). No warnings or errors through that whole day until I stopped it. I just searched the hard drive and there are two copies in the recycle, one copy in Databackups and one copy in databackups PM; besides the served one in databases.

Oh. And no copies supposedly anywhere else and file sharing is OFF.

Edited September 8, 2006 by Guest
Added Oh :^)

[Steven H. Blackwell]

I'd take a close look at that user's workstation emvironment.

Additionally--a random thought--you're not running active virus scans on that Server are you?

Steven

[LaRetta]

Nope, Steven, no active virus scan - no auto updates - I run Server according to the book (with help from you and Wim). I'm not at the office today but reports are everything is running fine - even that one station. But I've noted the date/time and will check their Events on Monday.

Oh, one more thing ... when I opened our served file stand-alone, that User was logged into Session table that day, so I know she was getting to the correct file. I may reinstall FM on her system just to be safe but I think our served file is fine. I don't believe in taking risks but ...

I have searched Tech Info. Where can I find a list of error codes that are thrown? Are there two different error codes - one that says the FM file is damaged and one that says the station copy of FM is damaged?

Thank you both for your help ... I'm beginning to breathe a little easier. I have told Users over and over to write down any error messages but, I think in the moment of panic, they forget.

[LaRetta]

Just an update ... host was indeed affected. I lost data in ModificationTimeStamp in 3 different tables. I also lost several other auto-enter fields - from years ago that HAD data already (in various fields)! I thought maybe I had done something wrong in my importing into this version but I pulled the original I downloaded and there are holes all through it. Looking at the next prior backup, all data is there. Whatever went wrong, it went wrong on that particular day.

I didn't realize this until I was in the middle of migrating today. There was one record in Contacts that did NOT update. I isolated the record and it is totally blank - not even the auto-enter serial! When I click into the field (from its layout), all fields grey out - like an unrelated record. I'm going back on Server - there must be something wrong there somewhere to have caused this. Bummer. I've been this route before. It wasn't how I wished to spend my weekend. :crazy2:

[Wim Decorte]

Not good... :

I would spend a lot of time sifting through the event logs, both FM's and the System's to see if you can find any inconsistencies. Even in the normal "blue" information entries. Like a user opening a file but never being reported as having closed the file (would indicate a client crash or network drop). Look for patterns in that info. It's a lot of work, but very useful.

[LaRetta]

I had spent hours researching the problem (above) and couldn't find anything. There were no error events and the Information's looked fine as well. BTW, the process reminded me of when my car breaks ... I open my hood and stare at it but have no idea what I'm looking for. ROFLMAO! But I read every event (and there were hundreds of them) and they all seemed to indicate there were no problems on our Server and I never figured out how it was trashed.

I recently became aware that our file (the replaced good clone which has never crashed) is now also trashed (by finding a ghost record in INVOICES). Users report that a month ago, BLUE (User system above) again acted up - typing into portal (numbers table which holds phone numbers) and the numbers disappearing. Other systems can not replicate the issue on same record. Reboot BLUE, then it works. Next day, BLUE again reports problem (on exact same record). All other Users report no problems and again can modify the same record and it works fine. Hardware tech said BLUE needed rebuilt and replaced it. I was never told because they didn't think it was connected to FileMaker. That's what happens when I decide to take a few days off.

I searched back to first of December (to that time) and found this System Event on FM Server:

[color:blue]MrxSmb EventID 8003

The master browser has received a server announcement from the computer BLUE that believes that it is the master browser for the domain on transport NetBT_Tcpip_{6BD565DA-FE8A-44CE-84F1. The master browser is stopping or an election is being forced.

Error refers to Error 8003. Served file (when unserved and opened directly) did not scan for errors or produce any other warnings or errors. Search of Knowledge Base produces nothing on 8003.

MS Server 2003, Standard Edition, SP1

FMSA 8.0v4

Intel Xeon cpu 2.80 GHz

2.79 GHz 1.00 GB RAM

No file sharing on system but My Network brings up list of all shared business server directories.

No anti-virus or auto Updates active

No other programs installed or running. FM Server is not used.

10-license (8 in the office and one User connects to the 9th system via GoToMyPC and clicks Opener.

We have FMSA but aren't using it yet.

Can someone help me understand this message (EventID 8003) and if/why our file was corrupted because of it? I am fanatical about protecting this file and trash it if it merely blinks but it has suffered damage and this error is the only thing I can find which might have caused it. BTW, 8003 has appeared three times since then - all referring to BLUE - even after that box was replaced.

BTW, the User who connects remotely (system 9) said that she freezes up and has to sign back in. I wasn't told this either. New process in place ... ALL burps from any computer must be reported to me.

One final question: It seems that our business server has been rebooted a few times. FM Server was not unserved first. Could that be a problem?

LaRetta

Edited January 7, 2007 by Guest
Added final question

[Steven H. Blackwell]

ne final question: It seems that our business server has been rebooted a few times. FM Server was not unserved first. Could that be a problem?

Of fundamental proportions if the files were not closed and the service stopped.

Steven

[LaRetta]

Just to be sure we're clear, Steven, before I pass out:

It came out during these interrogations, that the business server (in the other room) had to have the 'router' rebooted. I am unsure if the business server itself was rebooted. In fact, they changed our IP. I was assured that it would not have effected the FM server and the owner was assured of that by the person doing the network/IP stuff and that they have done it several times (at our office) and that the Users continued using FM and didn't notice a thing.

Can you provide me with information that I can take the Management. It means that 5 months of my work is trashed and I'll be told that I'm again 'just being fussy.' I appreciate any ammunition you can provide me.

LaRetta

[Steven H. Blackwell]

A router is one thing; a server is another. If the server was rebooted without first closing the files and stoping the FileMaker Server service, then the chances are very good the files were damaged. This is essentially the same as apower crash.

Steven

[Wim Decorte]

Reading the thread, it would seem that the FMS machine wasn't rebooted but another server and the router.

Rebooting the router in the midst of network traffic is not a good thing, network packets will be lost and clients that go through that router will be disconnected, leaving records in a dirty state.

[LaRetta]

Yes. The business server has been confirmed to have been rebooted, along with the router - while Users continued to work in FM. The FM Server wasn't rebooted. And I see the problem with lost packets and now understand why we were getting ghost records.

Thank you both so much for helping. At this point, should I export all data and import into clean clone? Or should I recover and then directly import from the trashed FM file into clean clone? Or both? I have over a million records to move and I don't want to bring corruption back into a good clone.

Owner has been notified of the situation and NOTHING will ever be done on the network without closing all databases and unserving. No exceptions. Ever. And if ANYONE ever experiences any problem in FM, I am to be notified immediately.

LaRetta

[LaRetta]

Alright, I must get going so I can have the file uploaded to be used tomorrow so I will proceed with what I think is the best approach. I've reviewed Answer ID 1580 and will recover, export and then import into new older good clone.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Probably the best move.

Steven