Variations in "Jet" DB engines etc and "Unknown" error!

[John Baker]

Hi:

I have two systems, one a W98 and the other XP Home. I have Access 2000 installed on both,
and have run into a difference in the way the two behave.

I have a table on which I wish to reset an "auto number" field so the counter goes back to
zero. The procedure I have used is to copy the contents of the table to a temp table,
empty the table and then compress the files. After that I copy back the data to the table
without the original "auto number". All this works fine on the XP machine BUT on the W98
machine exactly the same process produces " unknown" errors when I try and run the
application. That is to say, the error message is that Access has encountered an unknown
error". When I hit help, it refers me to the jet engine but thats about all.

I am wondering if there is a difference in the "jet" engine between the two systems, how I
find out, whether both systems can be given the same version (the one in the XP machine
since that does the job for me), and if so how I would set them up with the same engine.

Advice would be appreciated.

John Baker

[Allen Browne]

If there is a difference in how JET behaves, check if msjet40.dll is the
same version on both.

It's typically in windows\system3 2.
Right-click the file, and choose Version.
You should see 4.0.8xxx.0

If you don't see the 8, go to support.microso ft.com, the Downloads section,
and get SP8 for JET 4. From memory, you cannot just copy from one to the
other, as the SP is different for different versions of Windows.

Once you have JET 4 SP8, you should be able to delete from the table, and
the compact to reset the autonumber.

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia.
Tips for Access users - http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

"John Baker" <Ba******@Veriz on.net> wrote in message
news:s9******** *************** *********@4ax.c om...

I have two systems, one a W98 and the other XP Home. I have Access 2000
installed on both,
and have run into a difference in the way the two behave.

I have a table on which I wish to reset an "auto number" field so the
counter goes back to
zero. The procedure I have used is to copy the contents of the table to a
temp table,
empty the table and then compress the files. After that I copy back the
data to the table
without the original "auto number". All this works fine on the XP machine
BUT on the W98
machine exactly the same process produces " unknown" errors when I try and
run the
application. That is to say, the error message is that Access has
encountered an unknown
error". When I hit help, it refers me to the jet engine but thats about
all.

I am wondering if there is a difference in the "jet" engine between the
two systems, how I
find out, whether both systems can be given the same version (the one in
the XP machine
since that does the job for me), and if so how I would set them up with
the same engine.

Advice would be appreciated.

John Baker

[John Baker]

Hi again:

Some of you may be interested in the cause of my problem, and the solution.

My son in law was over this afternoon, and I mentioned the issue to him. It appears he has
run into it too, and the cause is compressing the back end of a Access system alone,
without compressing the front end as well. The front end appears to carry some of the
pointers to the back end, and occasionally when the back end is compressed that changes
the position of the objects pointed to. Compressing the front as well realigns things and
everything working properly.

While the theory about the reason for the problems may or may not be right, I do know that
compressing the front end solved the problems and the odd errors no longer happen!!

Best

John Baker