Database is in an Unrecognized Format or Inconsistent State

Database is in an Unrecognized Format or Inconsistent State

There was a Windows update in May 2018 that started causing Microsoft Access databases that are stored different computer to be come corrupted numerous times a day.

See this article here for full details and work-arounds


The the Microsoft provided work around instructions to prevent it from continuing until they fix the issue is here:


And here is a Microsoft forum thread with many people talking about on the issue:


The issue (corrupted database) can sometimes be caused by having a power outage or network interruption while running TATEMS and sometimes even using the Task Manager to kill TATEMS.

Most fleets using TATEMS never experience these issues but it if happens here is how to repair your database:

1. Have all users exit TATEMS
2. Copy the back end database file called tatems2005be.mdb from the shared folder on your your server computer
3. Open the "TATEMS 2005" folder on your local C drive. It will be inside C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86)\
4. Rename the existing empty database file inside the "TATEMS 2005" folder called tatems2005be.mbd to tatems2005be-Empty.mdb
5. Paste in the database file called tatems2005be.mdb into the "TATEMS 2005" folder on your C drive that you copied from the server.
6. From your Windows start menu type or find and click on "Compact & Repair TATEMS Data File (This Computer)"
7. Wait for the process to finish. (It the database can not be repaired you will need to revert to the last back. see instructions here https://tatems.com/backup )
8. After the repair is completed you need to copy the database file called  from the "TATEMS 2005" folder on your C drive and then navigate to the shared folder that you originally copy the file from on the server.
9. Before you paste the file in you want to rename the existing file with the same name that is currently in the shared folder on the server.  You can rename to tatems2005be-corrupt-also-current-date.mdb
10. Paste the date file into the shared folder on the server that you copied from the TATEMS 2005 folder on your local C drive.

If your network settings need to be changed so that TATEMS is pointing back to the data file on the server you can open the text file that is in a folder called:

_Settings

the file you need to open is called:

Networking.txt

Once you open it you will see where TATEMS will be linked next time you open it.

The default location is:

C:\Program Files (x86)\TATEMS 2005\tatems2005be.mdb

But if your data file is on a server then you can update the path before TATEMS opens by using this file.

For example it might be

\\MainServer\TATEMS\tatems2005be.mdb

Or

T:\Tatems2005be.mdb

If you are current on your TATEMS support and version upgrades we can setup a remote support session to do this for you if you like.

Here is an older article full of good and useful tips for dealing with a networking issues that can cause database corruption: 
The article above does not cover Windows 10 Specifically but the most of the Tips and apply to Windows 10 and newer servers as well.