Database Size Variations on PCs

[erato]

I'm hoping someone could help me with a reason for the size variation
in an Access mdb.

Some background - I have a system that does numerous
insert/deletes/updates into front-end tables to obtain a summary of the
data. I have 3 PCs - all of which start with the same size backend
database and the same size front-end database due to compact and
repair. Once the same exact process is ran on all 3 pcs, the front-end
database varies in size. On one PC it is a little over 2 GB and
finishes successfully, on another it is again a little over 2 GB yet
crashes with an "Invalid Argument" error (code for "your MDB is way too
big"), lastly on the 3rd it is a little over 1 GB and finishes
successfull.

Can anyone offer any insight as to why the same exact processing bloats
the database to different sizes?

Thanks SO MUCH!
sash

 

[Gary Watson]

I'm hoping someone could help me with a reason for the size variation
in an Access mdb.

Some background - I have a system that does numerous
insert/deletes/updates into front-end tables to obtain a summary of the
data. I have 3 PCs - all of which start with the same size backend
database and the same size front-end database due to compact and
repair. Once the same exact process is ran on all 3 pcs, the front-end
database varies in size. On one PC it is a little over 2 GB and
finishes successfully, on another it is again a little over 2 GB yet
crashes with an "Invalid Argument" error (code for "your MDB is way too
big"), lastly on the 3rd it is a little over 1 GB and finishes
successfull.

Can anyone offer any insight as to why the same exact processing bloats
the database to different sizes?

The different sizes may to down to the block size of the disk. When data is
added to a file a disk block is allocated, the size of this disk block is
determined when the disk is formatted. The larger the hard disk, the bigger
the block size (in general).