Lost Letters, Labels, Reports, Operations, etc...

Anne Freed · 04-08-2002, 01:16 PM

Friday I went into my Alpha 5 version 3 and all the forms to view the information is gone but all the data is there. It's like the guts are there but the skeleton is gone. There are no longer any reports, labels, operations, forms, browses, letters, or codes. They are all gone. The error message says the system cannot find the file specified. I've tried everything I know to fix it but nothing is working. Please let me know of any ideas you might have to fix this.

**Ohlen Cartmell** · 04-08-2002, 02:03 PM

When you look at the hard disk with Windows Explorer or My Computer, are the tables on the hard disk. For each table you should see a *.dbf, *.fpt (if there are memo fields), *.cdx, *.ddd, *.ddm, *.ddx. For each set you should see a *.set, *.sem, *.sex; where * is the table name. You should also see a !.adb, !.alb, !.alm, and !.alx where ! is the name of the database.

If these are not present, you'll need to restore from a backup. If they are on the hard disk, open the database in Alpha 5 and click the tables tab in the control panel. Then add each of the tables back to the database. At that point you should be in business again.

Hope this helps.

**Ken Bakhaus** · 04-10-2002, 12:43 PM

You might also want to use the find function of windows to check for your table_name.* less one of these files got moved accidently to another folder. If found just restore it to the proper folder. Also check the recycle bin to ensure it didn't get deleted.

kcb

**Bear Bag** · 08-29-2012, 12:14 AM

RE: Lost Letters, Labels, Reports, Operations, etc: I have lost my letters, and forms, and reports in A5v10. I found the files but they don't show on the tables tab. Can I do this moving some other way? Perhaps in My Computer file structure outside of Alpha Five? System restore didn't help me.

**Stan Mathews** · 08-29-2012, 09:22 AM

If you are saying that you have lost the tabs for Letters, Labels, Reports, Operations, etc but can see the tab for tables, right click on that tab and check mark the others.

**Al Buchholz** · 08-29-2012, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Bear Bag

RE: Lost Letters, Labels, Reports, Operations, etc: I have lost my letters, and forms, and reports in A5v10. I found the files but they don't show on the tables tab. Can I do this moving some other way? Perhaps in My Computer file structure outside of Alpha Five? System restore didn't help me.

Did you move your files from one directory to another?
What is the underlying information in your statement... Can I do this moving some other way?

**Bear Bag** · 08-29-2012, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by Stan Mathews

If you are saying that you have lost the tabs for Letters, Labels, Reports, Operations, etc but can see the tab for tables, right click on that tab and check mark the others.

I see the files in Windows Explorer file directory. I do not see them anywhere in Alpha Five. I moved the files a week or so ago and have no idea where they belong. I could move them in the file directory if I knew where they go. No sense in asking WHY I moved them as it was in a fit of "re-organization."

**Stan Mathews** · 08-29-2012, 01:19 PM

Right click in the blank area of the tables tab of the control panel. Choose Add Table/Set.

In the dialog that appears, navigate to where you see the "files" in Explorer.

Add them.

**Al Buchholz** · 08-29-2012, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Bear Bag

I see the files in Windows Explorer file directory. I do not see them anywhere in Alpha Five. I moved the files a week or so ago and have no idea where they belong. I could move them in the file directory if I knew where they go. No sense in asking WHY I moved them as it was in a fit of "re-organization."

I was asking what you did that resulted in the issue...

I would add to what Stan has said... Put the control panel in detail view mode, where you can see the full name of the tables/sets on the tables/sets tab.

I always work in that detail mode becuz I can see more of where files are actually being pointed to....

There are usually 2 things that cause objects to not be seen.
1. the right click on the control panel tabs to show layouts instead of more tabs.. (Stan's first suggestion.)
2. support files in the wrong place - usually a moved directory where the files aren't in a single directory, or the data files are moved and the support files aren't..

Looking at the control panel in detail view helps triage the situation quickly...