If you are a database developer and have faced corruption issues with Access database, you are probably aware that constant designing and testing of code as well as objects can cause damage to the database. Of course, you may have taken some basic steps such as regularly backing up your data. You may have even attempted to repair your database by using the 'Compact and Repair' utility. If your database is not seriously corrupted, then this utility may actually manage to restore most of your data and you can try restoring the rest from your backups. In case of serious corruption, you may have turned to third-party recovery tools such as Advanced Access Repair from DataNumen for a quick MDB recovery. However, by taking some of the specific steps we have outlined below, you can reduce corruption in your database:
· Always download and install the latest service packs for the version of Access and Jet database engine that you have installed. This will allow you to have the most recent security patches as well as fixes for bugs.
· If there is going to be more than one developer working on a database, it is best to give each one a local copy and after they have finished finalizing their part of the database, you can import the objects into the main MDB file. If you allow them to modify the objects in the main MDB file itself, this is bound to introduce errors in the database, leaving you with a messy MDB recovery process.
· If you have even a slight suspicion that your database is corrupt, you need to take immediate steps to repair the database. For example, if you are trying to compile a project and find that you are running into error messages, it is possible that the database is corrupted. If you find that a compiled project appears uncompiled after a restart, it is best to backup the project, compact it and then decompile it. Run the compact tool again and now compile the project. It is best to take another backup copy at this stage.
· If during development, Access crashes for some reason, it is best not to immediately run the compact tool or try for MDB recovery. First, delete the LDB file associated with the database and then take a backup of the crashed database. Now try opening the database and running the 'Compact and Repair Utility'. Even if you are unable to open the database, since this tool does not require an open database, you can select which database you would like the tool to compact and repair.
· Remember to regularly backup and compact your MDB file especially during development, perhaps as often as twice or thrice in a day. This ensures that you never lose more than a few hours of work even if the database suddenly becomes corrupted.
Despite taking these steps, if your Access database does get corrupted, you might prefer to use a recovery tool that works quickly and efficiently such as Advanced Access Repair to restore all the data, including tables, records, relations and indexes.