mdb file copy while access running

[daniele m]

hi,
I'm a new user of this newsgroup and I have a little question for you.

is it possible to copy (to backup) an access file while this file is
opened? can the copy be not coherent?

if it is not possible, how can I do?

thank you and sorry for my English

hi Daniele

[Rick Wannall]

Technically, it is possible to copy an MDB or MDE that is in use. It is not
a sound practice, because you have no idea what is happening inside the
original. If someone has it open and is just staring at data in a form,
you'll probably be fine as long as the copy starts after that form opens,
the user doesn't move aroundin the form, and the copy finishes before the
form close. Similarly with reports or queries. If nothing is happening in
the orignal, your copy will probably work.

The problem is that you don't KNOW that your copy will work, so it is
extremely risky to depend on being able to do this. I've done it by
mistake a few times, even on large apps, and apparently even with someone
active in a couple of them, and I was lucky, and nothing bad came of it.
That was luck, pure and simple. I've never done it on purpose.

The immediate question to ask you is, "Why would you need to copy an MDB
that is in use?"

[Larry Linson]

"Rick Wannall" wrote

Technically, it is possible to copy an MDB
or MDE that is in use. It is not a sound
practice, because you have no idea what is
happening inside the original.

Not only is it technically possible, it is done all the time by system
backup software. That is one of the reasons we hear from users crying that
they "restored from the backup but the database still won't open or doesn't
work." The backups appear go swimmingly, and so do the restores, but the
database that was restored is in an unusable state, and often will not yield
to Compact and Repair.

And, if they call in a consultant/contractor to investigate, they often
_assume_ they shouldn't pay unless the contractor can recover all the data
that they lost by their own negligence. That is why I will not accept such
assignments any more.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP

[Rick Wannall]

Thanks for the horror story. I'll remember this if I run into an
"opportunity" to take on one of these.

[salad]

Rick Wannall wrote:

Thanks for the horror story. I'll remember this if I run into an
"opportunity" to take on one of these.

I have A97. I can do a CTLR+C/CTRL+V on a network version and make a
copy and I've yet to have a problem. I might miss a saved record or
whatever but no corruption or problems.

[David W. Fenton]

salad <oi*@vinegar.com> wrote in
news:Gj****************@newsread3.news.pas.earthli nk.net:

Rick Wannall wrote:

Thanks for the horror story. I'll remember this if I run into an
"opportunity" to take on one of these.

I have A97. I can do a CTLR+C/CTRL+V on a network version and
make a copy and I've yet to have a problem. I might miss a saved
record or whatever but no corruption or problems.

Just because you've never had such a problem does not mean you
*can't* have the problem. If any record is in a write-locked state,
I'd expect you'd get something bad, especially if there are memos
involved.

It's not necessary, of course. You can use Lyle's old SysCommand
trick to copy the data tables to a new database.

--
David W. Fenton http://www.dfenton.com/
usenet at dfenton dot com http://www.dfenton.com/DFA/