Importing from crashed file

[David Jondreau]

Can importing data from a corrupt file cause corruption? I just had a file crash, it didn't require Recovery, but it'd only been two hours since my backup so I went back to the clean clone and imported the data. I got a dialog saying the file I was importing from wasn't closed properly, it ran a check and imported.

Can anyone tell me what the risk is of importing corruption that way?

[LaRetta]

You are safer with vs. 9 (I hear) but I truly would NOT trust it. I've had a trashed record (script had cursor in the record when file crashed; determined later by event logs and audit logs). When I imported the data into new clone, the bad record came along for the ride (it would crash FM whenever cursor hit one field in it) although the file itself hadn't crashed to my knowledge. You may never recall a trashed record from few years back but if you do (and if it's one which has crashed), it will take you down again. As Fenton asked one time, 'is it worth the risk?' Only you can answer that. But if you, down the road, realize there is corrupt data and it crashes you, you might have wished that you were more anal and performed the recovery by the book the first time; particularly if you are continuing to develope in it ... how much work might you lose?

I've also read that standard export of data helps to clean it but even THAT isn't guaranteed - I've had strange characters come back into my file after export to mer (only later found with a Mac and Character Sieve).

Just my :twocents:

Edited January 30, 2008 by Guest
Fixed typo

[LaRetta]

Actually, it was put to me a bit more graphically ... what are the risks of contacting AIDS through unsafe sex? Odds aren't very high. But ahhhh, the risk sucks.