Restoring Access database from Backup - FAILURE

[Mandley D]

Our database became corrupt and as a consequence we have attempted to restore
to an earlier version of the database via the tape drive backup (veritas
used).

When we attempt to open the restored file, the data contained within the
database has been overwritten by the most recent version. Ie restoring from
last Tuesday, the data is overwritten with todays data/work.

Can anyone advise how/why this is happening ?

Many thanks
DM

 

[Rick B]

It can't.

If you have a file from last Tuesday, and you open it, there is no way that
today's data can magically appear. You have to be opening today's file.

Is the data (backend) being restored, or are you just restoring a front-end
file?

 

[Mandley D]

Dear Rick

Many thanks for this.

Apologies for this next question but how do I know if it is the backend data
? Does the backend data file have a different extension from the front end
file?

Thanks in advance
D

 

[Rick B]

No, they are both mdb files. Typically, the backend would contain all your
tables (data) and would live on a server. Each user would have a front-end
file (forms, queries, and reports) on their local PC. There would be no
data tables in this database. Instead, there would be linked tables
pointing to the back-end database.

 

[Mandley D]

Hi Rick,

I have recovered the raw data (this has a date corresponding to the backup).
When I double click this to open the data I have a comment that says
something along the lines of "this database was prepared on an older version
of access" and gives me the option of opening in Access 2000. When I do this
I can indeed see my data, however it is raw data in an Excel type
spreadsheet. When I open the front end (to see the menus that have been
created by former colleagues) the back end data is overwritten (in this case
deleted) and the .mdb file is given todays date. I suppose the problem is
that the back end and front end are contained in one file that is backed up
on the server

A question is "how can I import the data from my backup" into the front end
without it.

Any other answers would be greatly appreciated

D

 

[Rick B]

I don't understand.

Did you change Access versions since last Tuesday? If not, then I don't
understand that error message.

When you say it is overwritten with today's data, that sounds like a good
thing to me. Why fall back and lose several day's work if you are able to
do something and end up with the current data?

If there is no front-end and back-end, simply one database, then this should
be simple. If today's file is corupt and compact/repair does not fix it,
then simply copy the file from your backup onto your harddrive and start
using it.

 

[Mandley D]

Rick

Appreciate your patience over this matter. We haven't changed Access
versions since last week, the database was originally created on Access 97 (I
think!)

In answer to your question "When you say it is overwritten with today's
data, that sounds like a good thing to me" Sadly there is no data in the
database file since last week when someone made a change to the front end of
the database.

When I retrieve the data from the backup (from last week) and open in Access
(I'm using Access 2002) I can see my data (in table form) but the front end
view is not obvious. I'm pleased to have the raw data back but the lack of
the front end interface is causing me a problem.


Thanks
D

 

[John Vinson]

Dear Rick

Many thanks for this.

Apologies for this next question but how do I know if it is the backend data
? Does the backend data file have a different extension from the front end
file?

Just to add to Rick's comments - if the database splitter wizard was
used to split the databases, and the resulting files weren't renamed
afterwards, the "backend" database will be named mydata_be.mdb
(assuming that the original database was named mydata.mdb).

The "frontend" doesn't contain any data; if it was corrupted, you can
simply delete it and replace it with a fresh copy. If the table data
was corrupted, though, what you need to restore is the backend
database, usually to be found on a shared drive on a server. Be sure
you're restoring the right file!

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[Mandley D]

Dear John,

I do indeed have a *_be.mdb file in a directory on my server and this file
is approx 1.3Mb. The other .mdb file is only 0.7Mb.

I assume that the difference in size relates ot the fact that the former
contains my data and the later is the front end.

I'm taking these two files off site overnight to try at home because each
time I open either file they are automatically overwritten with an empty
database! A further point of note is that we do have other databases in the
same folder of the server. When these are recovered from a week ago they open
up with todays date and entries (in these cases the data is complete but we
expected to see data that has been entered over the last week).

Any suggestions.
Thanks
D

 

[John Vinson]

Dear John,

I do indeed have a *_be.mdb file in a directory on my server and this file
is approx 1.3Mb. The other .mdb file is only 0.7Mb.

I assume that the difference in size relates ot the fact that the former
contains my data and the later is the front end.

Exactly. All of your data is in the _be file; your frontend file
doesn't contain any data and has links to the tables in the backend.
Have you (securely!) established *which* database was corrupt? If it
was the frontend, then your data is intact in the backend; it need not
and should not be restored. Simply blow away the corrupt frontend and
replace it with a restored version.

If the backend was corrupt, then *it* needs to be restored, but the
frontend probably does not. It would be very peculiar indeed if *both*
front and back ends became corrupt - you just need to determine which
is bad and restore *it*.

I'm taking these two files off site overnight to try at home because each
time I open either file they are automatically overwritten with an empty
database! A further point of note is that we do have other databases in the
same folder of the server. When these are recovered from a week ago they open
up with todays date and entries (in these cases the data is complete but we
expected to see data that has been entered over the last week).

Try holding down the Shift key while opening the databases to bypass
any startup forms or startup code. It should certainly NOT overwrite
anything with an empty database! I've never seen this happen and I'm
not sure *how* it could happen.

If you restore a backend database from a week ago - it will, of
course, contain the data which was in it a week ago. Access cannot
automagically "back fill" data which was not stored in the backup! I'm
not quite sure what you're saying you expected!

John W. Vinson[MVP]