corrupt files

[sidfarkas]

On June 27th at 7:46 pm all my database files ( in the same folder)
became corrupt( Probably around 100 different files all with the same
time stamp of June 27 7:46 pm) I think the file that did it was
da8f5167.exe. I can see the data briefly in excel when the file starts
to open. In Access 97, the message starts with unrecognized file and no
data appears. I have tried a lot of stuff but none of it seems to work.
Any help?

 

[Chris Mills]

On June 27th at 7:46 pm (my time), no significant event occurred in the world
that I'm aware of, which would affect Microsoft Access worldwide.
(though I wouldn't discourage you from giving more details than necessary,
usually it's the other way around)

If all your database files in a folder became corrupt, then (since it's
unlikely you were running all of them at the time) you "merely" had an "event"
such as a catastrophic failure in your PC. As such, this is hardly to do with
Microsoft Access, is it?

Do you have backups (including off-site backups)? If not, you will have next
time, is my humble opinion.

(it's not really a reasonable question. I appreciate you are probably in a
panic, and if so stop it)
Chris

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi.

I think the file that did it was
da8f5167.exe.

This isn't a common enough file that other people know what it actually is
or does. However, what makes you think that this executable corrupted your
files? Does it open the database files in Word and then save them,
something guaranteed to corrupt Access database files?

In Access 97, the message starts with unrecognized file and no
data appears.

Is it possible that these database files were opened in Access 2000 or a
later version and then converted to that later version? Access 97 will
claim "Unrecognized database format" when you try to open a later version
database file format.

I have tried a lot of stuff but none of it seems to work.

Presumably, you tried to repair it. Have you also tried JetComp?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/295334/en-us

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/273956/EN-US/

HTH.
Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips and tutorials.
http://www.Access.QBuilt.com/html/expert_contributors2.html for contact
info.

 

[Vanessa Jennings]

also try creating a new container and then import the data to it, and try
opening the data tables then...sometimes this has worked for me in the past..

 

[sidfarkas]

Thanks for the tip. I tried the JetComp and the software said it could
not recognize the file.

There were approx. 100 files in this folder. Most of them were in
subfolders. All the files now have the same date and time on them. Some
were mdb and some were xls files. Even if I tried to open all the
folders in a short period of time, they would not have the same time on
them.
Mdb and Xls files in other folders were not corrupted.
This file, da8f5167.exe, was in my system 32 folder. It also had the
same time on it. It will not open when I click on it. When I right
click on it, the properties have no id as to what software company
wrote it.I have googled the file and it is not recognized.
I have run PC Tools Antivirus software on my computer a dozen times and
it does not see it.
I have tried to import the data into new mdb files and it will not
work.

If this is a new virus it is powerful.

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi.

I tried the JetComp and the software said it could
not recognize the file.

They're hosed then. Jet requires a very specific file architecture, and if
it's changed outside of Jet's operations, then Jet probably won't be able to
open it ever again. Check how many bytes each MDB file has. It should be a
multiple of 4096, because that's the size of a data page. If the file size
is other than a multiple of 4096 bytes, then data was added or subtracted
from the file, which shouldn't happen unless a virus is involved or someone
is messing with the file, like opening it in Word and then saving it in
Word.

Mdb and Xls files in other folders were not corrupted.

I wonder what's "special" about this directory and subdirectory and not the
others.

This file, da8f5167.exe, was in my system 32 folder. It also had the
same time on it.

Could it have been downloaded from an infected E-mail you received? Perhaps
there's a prefetch command (*.pf) that downloaded this file from the
Internet without your knowledge. If so, you can see which Web site was the
source.

It will not open when I click on it.

Don't click on files where you don't know what will happen! That's how many
computer disasters start.

I have run PC Tools Antivirus software on my computer a dozen times and
it does not see it.

No anti-virus software application catches all the viruses, but some are
better than others. Try another antivirus application and see if it picks
up what yours hasn't.

If this is a new virus it is powerful.

It's got the symptoms of a virus, I'll grant you that.

HTH.
Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips and tutorials.
http://www.Access.QBuilt.com/html/expert_contributors2.html for contact
info.

 

[sidfarkas]

I appreciate your responses. I have a friend who looked at the file
somehow and said it was blank with "{" repeated many times at the
beginning of the file. My old data was one week old but better that no
back up at all. I hope that the person who wrote this virus, his
armpits are infested with the fleas of a thousand camels.