Have at it!

[Wanda Tucker]

Okay - I have exhausted all efforts to find out why some of my data gets arbitrarily deleted. (See my numerous posts, "Arbitrarily deleted data" - so I have copied the entire directory, deleted unassociated tables, deleted sensitive data, and zipped and attached it for anyone who wants to try their hand at figuring out why data is arbitrarily being deleted with seemingly no rhyme, nor reason.

PARTICULARS:
There are two tables which lose data. One is the PACE ROSTER, the other is the WRAP ROSTER. The fields affected are named PACE_EXIT, and EXIT_DATE, respectively. Both are found in the SETS CONTROL PANEL. Both fields' data is manually entered. When dates turn up missing, it does not happen to all the records in either table.

Neither field is a calculated field, although both fields are used as look-ups. Both tables are linked in sets. Also, both fields are used in other data fields to either add or subtract 365 or 182 days.

I am the only user of Alpha 5 in this workplace. My pc is the only one with Alpha installed on it.

The data started being deleted after the IT dept connected me to the server. Contrary to what I was previously told, my Alpha files are NOT merely copied to the server and copied back to my hard drive when I shut down and boot up. Instead, they reside on the server at all times.

The only time I find missing data is upon booting up in the morning. I re-enter the data, and it then stays in tact until some future date, upon booting up. In fact, I had shut down my computer (with all date files in tact) on 3/19, and didn't turn it back on until 3/27...low and behold, some of the data in both of the tables was missing.

To anyone who wants to try to figure this out, I will forever be indebted - when I grow up and get rich, you can cash in on my wealth!

THANK YOU!!!

Wanda

[Wanda Tucker]

RE: Have at it!

I know. I know. The file didn't attach - it's too big...I'm going to lunch, then will tackle trying to break it down into smaller files, and send it after lunch. Caio!

[forskare]

RE: Have at it!

Wanda,

Try deleting some of the records to slim it down. If you didn't zip it with WinZip or similar zip program.

kenn

[Lenny Forziati]

RE: Have at it!

Hi Wanda,

I know you've been having this problem for a while and I'm sure it's driving you crazy. If you email me the zip file directly at [email protected], I will manually post it here on the message board to get around the size limitation.

-Lenny

[Wanda Tucker]

RE: Have at it!

THANK YOU, LENny!!!!!!!!! I'll send it, immediately :-)

[Lenny Forziati]

RE: Have at it!

For those of you that would like to try to help Wanda, you can download her zip file if you click here. It's only slightly larger than the 1MB limit so you shouldn't really have a problem downloading it.

-Lenny

[Mick Magnuson]

RE: Have at it!

Hi Wanda
Opened up your zippy file and a couple of things are missing from the .adb, but not sure if anyone needs them or not.

attend ltrs.set in d:to from crsg
mailing list.dbf in d:alpha databasesschools
achievement_pace.dbf in d:alpha databasesschools

:)
We love a challenge!

[Wanda Tucker]

RE: Have at it!

Hi Mick,
I'm so glad that I can accommodate those of you who thrive on these most difficult problems!!! Any Time! Ha!

Re the three files, you can ignore those. I had deleted them, I thought.

Have fun! :)))))))))))))))
Wanda

[Ray Fernandez]

RE: Have at it!

>>The data started being deleted after the IT dept >>connected me to the server. Contrary to what I was >>previously told, my Alpha files are NOT merely copied to >>the server and copied back to my hard drive when I shut >>down and boot up. Instead, they reside on the server at >>all times.

Hi Wanda,

Was everything working OK before the files where move to the server?

RF-ARS-Motorola

[Wanda Tucker]

RE: Have at it!

Yes - in my 20 years of experience with Alpha Databases, I have not ever had this problem. I have never been connected to a server until a few months ago - and that's precisely when my data began disappearing. But OF COURSE IT swears it's an ALPHA program problem. It COULD be a problem with my design, but I seriously doubt it. I am just trying to find the solution, whether it is a programming problem, or an IT problem.
Thanks,
Wanda

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Have at it!

Wanda,

Are you saying that all the records are present all the time, but that from time to time the data stored in a single field in the Pace Roster table and data stored in a single field in the Wrap Roster table are blanked out? (i.e. empty)

-- tom

[Wanda Tucker]

RE: Have at it!

Yes, Tom - that's exactly what's happening. Also understand that not all of the records are affected. When data is missing from the date field, it can happen in only 2 out of 50 records, or 10 out of 20...

Having fun, yet? :)

[Ray Fernandez]

RE: Have at it!

Wanda,

Other people on this board have a lot more experience with Alpha 5, than myself. But I can try to suggest some ideas regarding your network.

First let me say I do not believe there is any type of network corruption problems. If there was, then you would have problems opening tables and from your previous statements, this issue seems to be confined to only 2 tables and records or values missing within these two tables. Is this correct?

I need you to start to maintain a log. Every day before you go home, after you close Alpha 5, I need you to open Windows explorer and go to the shared drive on your network were you have your files. I want you to find these 2 tables and jot down the table size, but most important the modified value, both the date and time.

When you come in the morning. And turn on your computer, before you open Alpha 5, open Windows explorer find these two tables and jot down the size and modified values. I want to see if the modified values of these 2 tables change, when you're not there.

You also said in a previous post, that you are the only one that has access to these tables, if this is the case, go to your network administrator and tell him to remove all Security accounts from that share directory except for Wanda.

Removed the everybody account and also the administrator account; only you will have any access to this directory. Of course make sure that this does not mess up any backup strategies.

I sure hope no one is playing a trick on you on another computer using any MS Office Software like Access, linking it to Alpha 5 and removing records or changing values.

Now you know if you come in the morning and the modified date and time on your table is different from what it was when you left, something is going on.

I think that this problem will be solved by eliminating small things, one step at a time.

I will be more than happy to work with you on the network part of it and let others check out the software part. Let's start logging the table information and see what happens.

Give it a few days and then I�ve need to know some information about your network.

RF-ARS-MOTOROLA

[Wanda Tucker]

RE: Have at it!

Thank you, Ray!!! I've copied your instructions and will now make an attempt to comply. I'm out of here pretty soon, so if I have any problems, I will post a message tomorrow morning. Thanks, again :-)

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Have at it!

Wanda,

In addition to the log, and other steps which Ray has recommended, here's something else.

The attached zip file contains two scripts which I recommend you start using. Instructions are embedded in each script.

One is for the Pace Roster Table. It will give you the current record count, and the current number of empty Pace_Exit fields. Results will be displayed on screen and written to the trace window so that you can copy them to the clipboard, and paste them into an editor for printing.

The second does the same thing for the Exit_Date field in the Wrap Roster table.

I recommend you run these at the end of each day, and also at the beginning of each day. If overnight processing on the server is changing your data this should reveal it very quickly.

I notice that you rely on lots of operations in managing your data. It's difficult for an outsider to determine whether one or more of these might be impacting the problematic fields at hand. I recommend that you use the attached scripts to get counts of the empty fields in each table, both before, and especially, after each operation you run. If an operation is changing data in your tables in ways you don't expect this will reveal it immediately.

Good luck, and let us know what you find.

-- tom