Network Connection Lost

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fred Worthington
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Fred Worthington

Greetings:

I made a copy of a database from the office server and brought it home to
make a few updates (as I have done in the past) on my home computer.
However, this time something is different. Just opening the database for
review is not a problem, but when I try to make revisions (adding tables and
forms), I run into problems. Specifically, when I attempt to insert a
subform or command button, or when I attempt to open a subform with a
command button, I am presented with the following message:

"LinkMasterFields property setting has produced this error: 'Error accessing
file. Network connection may have been lost.'"

Since I am not the one who set the database up on the office network, I am
unfamiliar with potential problems and remedies associated with this
configuration. Is there a difference between "Networking" a database and
"Sharing" a database?

Thanks . . . Fred
 
Fred Worthington said:
Greetings:

I made a copy of a database from the office server and brought it
home to make a few updates (as I have done in the past) on my home
computer. However, this time something is different. Just opening
the database for review is not a problem, but when I try to make
revisions (adding tables and forms), I run into problems.
Specifically, when I attempt to insert a subform or command button,
or when I attempt to open a subform with a command button, I am
presented with the following message:

"LinkMasterFields property setting has produced this error: 'Error
accessing file. Network connection may have been lost.'"

Since I am not the one who set the database up on the office network,
I am unfamiliar with potential problems and remedies associated with
this configuration. Is there a difference between "Networking" a
database and "Sharing" a database?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, but you may have been bitten by the nasty bug described in
this MS KnowledgeBase article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];304548

Read the article carefully to see if it applies to your situation. If
so, Office 2000 SP3 fixes the bug, but that won't repair your corrupted
database. You'll have to resort to a backup, or else try importing all
objects to a new database -- some objects probably won't import, and
you'll have to recreate them from scratch. When you do import the
objects, unless you've applied the service pack, it is *crucial* that
you compile and save the project before closing the database.
 
Dirk,

Thanks for your response. I read the article, and, whereas this condition
may apply to my home computer (though my version of Vbe6.dll is different
than the one referenced), the database still functions fine on the office
server. Both computers are running a stand-alone version of Access 2000 on
WinXP (though I do not have SP3 - don't know about the office). My problem
is how to safely transport the mdb file between the office computer and my
home computer for periodic revisions and updates. I've already done this
successfully many times without consequence.

What is curious to me (and of some concern) is that the last copy I made of
this database (from the office server several months ago) still functions
fine on my home computer (even when I make the same revisions that are
causing problems with the current copy). My concern is that something has
changed, perhaps in the way the database is configured for the office
network, and that my making revisions on another computer then replacing the
old version with the new one on the server will cause problems. Is there
any reason why I shouldn't be doing this, and if so, perhaps you can suggest
a safe (or correct) way to make revisions to the database remotely.

Thanks again . . . Fred

Dirk Goldgar said:
Fred Worthington said:
Greetings:

I made a copy of a database from the office server and brought it
home to make a few updates (as I have done in the past) on my home
computer. However, this time something is different. Just opening
the database for review is not a problem, but when I try to make
revisions (adding tables and forms), I run into problems.
Specifically, when I attempt to insert a subform or command button,
or when I attempt to open a subform with a command button, I am
presented with the following message:

"LinkMasterFields property setting has produced this error: 'Error
accessing file. Network connection may have been lost.'"

Since I am not the one who set the database up on the office network,
I am unfamiliar with potential problems and remedies associated with
this configuration. Is there a difference between "Networking" a
database and "Sharing" a database?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, but you may have been bitten by the nasty bug described in
this MS KnowledgeBase article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];304548

Read the article carefully to see if it applies to your situation. If
so, Office 2000 SP3 fixes the bug, but that won't repair your corrupted
database. You'll have to resort to a backup, or else try importing all
objects to a new database -- some objects probably won't import, and
you'll have to recreate them from scratch. When you do import the
objects, unless you've applied the service pack, it is *crucial* that
you compile and save the project before closing the database.

--
Dirk Goldgar, MS Access MVP
www.datagnostics.com

(please reply to the newsgroup)
Click to expand...
 
Fred Worthington said:
Dirk,

Thanks for your response. I read the article, and, whereas this
condition may apply to my home computer (though my version of
Vbe6.dll is different than the one referenced), the database still
functions fine on the office server. Both computers are running a
stand-alone version of Access 2000 on WinXP (though I do not have SP3
- don't know about the office). My problem is how to safely
transport the mdb file between the office computer and my home
computer for periodic revisions and updates. I've already done this
successfully many times without consequence.

What is curious to me (and of some concern) is that the last copy I
made of this database (from the office server several months ago)
still functions fine on my home computer (even when I make the same
revisions that are causing problems with the current copy). My
concern is that something has changed, perhaps in the way the
database is configured for the office network, and that my making
revisions on another computer then replacing the old version with the
new one on the server will cause problems. Is there any reason why I
shouldn't be doing this, and if so, perhaps you can suggest a safe
(or correct) way to make revisions to the database remotely.
Click to expand...

First, I do recommend that you bring your version of Access up to the
most recent SP level. Even if the KB304548 bug isn't the source of your
problem this time, it's a showstopper if it ever does rear its head, and
there are enough other fixes in the SPs to warrant applying them.

I don't know what's going between your office configuration and your
home configuration. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with copying a
database to another installation, working on it there, and bringing it
back. Make sure that the database is closed when you copy it. There
*can* be occasional problems in transferring databases between
installations, but these problems usually take the form of broken
references -- references to DLLs or OCXes that are not installed or not
in the same place in the different installations. The most common
symptom of broken references that various built-in VBA functions are no
longer recognized, because a broken reference to some *other* library
keeps the VBA reference from being properly resolved. You can look for
broken references by opening the VB Editor, clicking Tools ->
References..., and scanning the reference list for one marked "MISSING".
Sometimes you'll have a reference that is broken more subtly, that
doesn't show as missing. If you suspect that may be the case, follow
the directions at


http://members.rogers.com/douglas.j.steele/AccessReferenceErrors.html

, which also tells you a whole lot more than you may need to know about
references. It would probably be worth trying the full procedure
described there, on the off chance that it will make a difference.

In general, though, getting the "Error accessing file" message when
there is in fact no network connection is a sign of corruption in your
VBA project. I don't know, though, why the same database would give you
that message at one installation and not in the other. You might try
decompiling the database (to discard the compiled VB project), then
compacting it, and then recompiling and recompacting it. Decompiling
can be accomplished by running a command line like this:

msaccess.exe /decompile "C:\Your Path\YourDB.mdb"

(substituting your path and file name, naturally). *Note* -- do this to
a *copy* of the database, just in case it makes things worse than they
are.
 
Thanks again, Dirk,

I have decided to upgrade my version of Access. It seems like the most
efficient way to bring the technology up to date without having to deal with
downloading service patches. As to your other suggestions, I will save your
messages for future reference should the upgrade not solve my problem, or if
I experience similar problems again. I appreciate your advice.

Fred
 
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