Can't compact BE database due to 'exclusive' error

Hello,

I'm having a bit of a problem regarding my back-end database for Access 2003. The db is set for shared mode, has no programming code at all, only back-end tables that is shared on our server, that everyone accesses. Everything has been working fine up until today.

So today I need to add about 20 fields to one of our tables (making the total about 40 fields in all for this one table). When I go to save the table, it tells me that I can't because there are too many fields (there aren't). Actually, if I update add even one field it tells me that's too many. So I say "OK, I'll compact the database" wrong again. It attempts to compact and repair the db but it tells me that "You attempted to open a database that is already opened exclusively by user 'Administrator' on machine '[my machine]'. Try again when the database is available".

Of course, the Administrator on my machine is me! So I close all my programmes, try again - no good. I restart my computer - no good. I kick everyone who is working on my database off of their computers and close Access - still no good.

I'm starting to get worried that I'm never going to be able to make any changes to my table fields again. Is this normal?

Thanks!

-BG

re: Can't compact BE database due to 'exclusive' error

My friend your DB sounds corrupt. If there is not to much corruption the easy fix is to create a new DB and import all your tables into the new database. Then you should kick everyone off the db, and delete the old. Also make sure everyone is logged off the database, make everyone restart their machines if you must. The best way to check if someone is in your database is by looking for the ldb file assiocated with running Access applications.

good luck

re: Can't compact BE database due to 'exclusive' error

Ack! Don't tell me things like that. lol What my 'fix' so far has been was to create a new db with a new table and populate all my necessary fields, then import that into my current BE DB - now that actually worked okay but it seems like a roundabout way to deal with this and if my DB really is corrupt, then I just have a bigger problem. I'm going to copy all the new table entries then revert back to my last archived DB and put all those entries in.

This has never happened before, is this situation unavoidable or is there some preventative measure I can take against this? Is it possible that someone else can corrupt my DB from another computer (unintentionally anyway)?

Thanks Maxamis