Error message = "Unknown"

[Barry]

Two different Access 2000 databases work just fine on
my "development" PC. Situation #1, each database is
copied to a CD, the database on the CD is copied into two
other PC's that have Access 2000. The database opens on
the other PC's but any attempt to open any of the tables
in the database gets a message => Microsoft Access =>
Unknown. Situation #2, a Visual Basic application that
uses one of the above Access 2000 databases, works for
the first three tables it accesses and goes out on an
error accessing the next table (On Error goto - logic
path).

 

[Arvin Meyer]

Barry,

We used to have a mind reader as an MVP, but he retired. You'll need to give
us a bit more to go on. Unless the error is caused by CDs transferring files
as Read-Only, we'll need the code causing the problem and error messages
that are generated.

Thanks,
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access downloads:
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access

 

[bbdexter]

Dear Arvin (or whoever can reply),
While I can handle the "used to have a mind reader"
comment, I can't help but point out that I wouldn't have
this problem if I too were a mind reader. When I get an
error message that simply says "Unknown", I was hoping
(perhaps unrealistically) that someone who worked for the
company that generated that message would be able and
willing to reveal its real meaning. With traded sarcasm
behind us, is there some way to find possible meanings of
that "Unknown" error? Do I need to open an incident and
deal with it in greater detail than I was hoping would be
needed? Knowing the ropes, can you let me know what is
likely to be a productive and quick way to get this
resolved?
Thanks,
Barry

 

[Brendan Reynolds \(MVP\)]

Dear Arvin (or whoever can reply),
While I can handle the "used to have a mind reader"
comment, I can't help but point out that I wouldn't have
this problem if I too were a mind reader. When I get an
error message that simply says "Unknown", I was hoping
(perhaps unrealistically) that someone who worked for the
company that generated that message would be able and
willing to reveal its real meaning.

Someone who worked for the company might, Barry, but the last time some one
who works for the company answered a question here was more than a month
ago.

MVPs do *not* work for Microsoft.

 

[Barry]

Oops! Sorry Arvin & Brendan
Still have to wonder if anything can be known from the
error message itself.
Barry

 

[Dirk Goldgar]

Oops! Sorry Arvin & Brendan
Still have to wonder if anything can be known from the
error message itself.

I suggest that you use Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V to copy and paste the text of
the error message dialog into a reply. Also post the exact steps you
take that give rise to the message, including any code involved. In
your VB application, you may be trapping the error and displaying your
own message, but it would help if you would post the specific error
number and the original error message generated.

When you copied the database to CD, they weren't open at the time, were
they?

 

[Barry]

Enclosed is the message I receive after copying the
database to a different PC, opening the DB then clicking
on any table (or Open). The message won't seem to copy
or paste. Print screen and paste into Word works but I
cannot attach it to this message. But it is short and
simple ... there's a little yellow triangle with an
exclamation point in it ... followed by the words
Microsoft Access. Below that it says Unknown. There's a
horizontal line below which is an OK button. That's it.
Any ideas? (Confirmed by repeating that the DB was not
open when copied).

 

[Dirk Goldgar]

Enclosed is the message I receive after copying the
database to a different PC, opening the DB then clicking
on any table (or Open). The message won't seem to copy
or paste. Print screen and paste into Word works but I
cannot attach it to this message. But it is short and
simple ... there's a little yellow triangle with an
exclamation point in it ... followed by the words
Microsoft Access. Below that it says Unknown. There's a
horizontal line below which is an OK button. That's it.
Any ideas? (Confirmed by repeating that the DB was not
open when copied).

This is odd. This is an Access .mdb file, not an .adp, correct? And
all you have to do is attempt to open a table in datahseet view from the
container window? Hmm... What do you get if you press Ctrl+G to open
the Immediate Window, and then enter

DoCmd.OpenTable "YourTableName"

(substituting, of course, the name of a table in the database)?

While you're there in the VB Editor environment, click Tools ->
References... and look through the list for any marked as MISSING. Are
there any?

At the moment I'm suspecting some sort of database corruption, but then
I can't explain why it works on your PC and not on others. After you
copied the database to these other PCs from the CDROM, did you remember
to reset its read-only attribute?