The database is in an unexpected state; Microsoft Access can't open it.

[Gary A. Hollenbeck]

This morning I encountered an unusual and scary problem.
While trying to open one of our databases I recieved this error.

The database is in an unexpected state; Microsoft Access can't open it.
This database has been converted from a prior version of Microsoft Access by
using the DAO CompactDatabase method instead of the Convert Database command
on the Tools menu (Database Utilities submenu). This has left the database
in a partially converted state.
If you have a copy of the database in its original format, use the Convert
Database command on the Tools menu (Database Utilities submenu) to convert
it. If the the original database is no longer available, create a new
database and import your tables and queries to perserve your data. Your
other database objects can't be recovered.

I have checked with other users. No one tried do anything out of the
ordinary this morning. I did however update my system with the latest
Windows XP Professional update. I don't think that has anything to do with
it??

I have tried compact/repair, linking and importing to a new database,
nothing works. Does anybody have any ideas how I might recover this
database. No backup of course. I know, not very smart. Any help would be
very much appreciated.
Gary A. Hollenbeck
Production Manager
The Door Stop

 

[GVaught]

Several possibilities:

If the database was open at the time of the update to XP Pro and the main
database resides on that machine or a machine that had the database open and
you rebooted the machine after the update, then this message is most likely
from that action.

One of the other users tried something and stopped the action to put the
database in this state. I am always leery when the users claim they didn't
do anything. One possibility is they had the database open and their machine
was shutdown incorrectly and not shutting down the database first. Trust,
but verify; as Ronald Reagan always said.

Last, but not least. Neither of the above was the culprit and actions on
your database were running under normal operations and some rogue code
within the database decided to fail.

 

[Gary A. Hollenbeck]

I certainly appreciate your response but is there any possible way I may be
able to recover from this?

Thanks

G. Hollenbeck

 

[Ki Yi [MS]]

Hello,

There are a number of third-party companies that specialize in data
recovery.
They are listed in following kb article:

ACC97: How to Troubleshoot Corruption in a Microsoft Access Database
WGID:147
ID: 306829.KB.EN-US
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306829

Hope this helps!

Ki