FM 5.5 Regular Corruption issues

[gmailes]

We keep getting "damaged file" or "corrupt file" errors on MacOSX/FM5.5 machines accessing a FM database located on a PC server. The errors arise after the files have been backed up or copied to laptops for field work. There seems to be no difficulty unless and until the files are copied from or changed on the server.

The remedy is to perform a Recovery. This has become a daily event after the overnight backup runs or the sales reps copy the database.

As an experiment, accessing the database with a Mac running OS9 and FM5.0 seems to work fine after the backup run..... Curious!

I have a small mixed network (Mac and PC). A colleciton of relational FM files is stored on a PC server. The files are accessed by the users on a needs basis. I have just migrated the Macs to OSX/FM5.5. The relational database file has a client list and sales records, individual fields are small and there are about 2,500 records in total.

Any suggestions?

[Vaughan]

The error is probably because the files are being copied while somebody has them opened in FMP. This is probably the *worst* way of sharing databases.

The solution is to get the files off a shared file server and host them on a FM Server -- a PC or Mac running either the FM Pro client or FM Server software with the databases permanently opened. Users connect to the databases as guests through the Open Remote command (or through the Hosts button in Open dialog in versions before 5.5).

FM server is the preferred choice because it can automatically perform scheduled backups without having to take the databases off-line. It's also faster and can handle more files and users. Having said that, initially just uase FM Pro and see for yourself how much better the system works when it's done right.

[taylorg]

Sorry about that last reply - I am new at this.

I too have had many problems with FM5.5 Server and Client on OS10.1.2 (we have all the latest updates)

Even if all users are off the system and you do a b/u or modify a database it becomes corrupted. The recovery does not always work.

I have switched back to OS9.2 with FM5.5 server and all is fine.

Everything runs smoothly and speed is greatly improved as well.

Gordon

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Don't open files on the server using FileMAker Pro while FileMAker Server is still running. THis is a guarantyee of problems.

Do not continue to use Recovered files. Recover is for the puirpose of extracting the data and putting it into a clean clone.

HTH

Old Advance Man

[vr5150]

I have had the same problems with Filemaker Server 5.5 and OS X 10.12.

I get nothing but corrupted files and loss of data or duplicates of records like cloning.

Back on OS 9.2.1 and Filemaker 5.5 Server and all is well.

The more I use OS X for personal use I love it but the more I use it for business applications like serving and file sharing I hate it.

I'd like to think its a Filemaker bug since I heard its a windows port not a rebuild for OS X which I find hard to believe Filemaker would do but I sure cant stand using it until update is out.

[Anatoli]

RE: I heard its a windows port not a rebuild for OS X which I find hard to believe Filemaker would do but I sure cant stand using it until update is out.

ASAIK, Windows version is Mac port, and bad one.

Not Server for Windows, that is Masterpiece!

[Vaughan]

For a long time almost *every* Windows program was a Mac port: Excel, Word, PowerPoint... except those woefully bad programs like WordPerfect for Windows which were ported from DOS.

Remember how bad Word 6 was... that was the first verion that *wasn't* a Mac port.