Problem opening database

Richard Brown · Post by **Richard Brown** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:53 am

I was using a database on K&K Pro quite happily last night. When I came to try to open it this morning it wouldn't - a bit of activity on the computer and then a blank K&K screen. Fortunately I've got a back up but it is a couple of months old.

Can you help?

Richard

Nick Hunter · Post by **Nick Hunter** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:53 am

K&KPro always opens the database you were last using when you start it up. If that database no longer exists you could have a problem. Use "Start | Programs | Kith and Kin Pro | Database Administrator" and change the "Path" for the "Kith_Kin" alias so that it points to the "Sample" database folder. This will let you start K&KPro.

If the above does not apply, ie. the database you were last working on is the correct one, ignore the above and use "Start | Programs | Kith and Kin Pro | Borland database fix utility" to rebuild each table in your database. Then you should be able to start K&KPro.

Richard Brown · Post by **Richard Brown** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:53 am

Nick,

Many thanks for this.

Starting with your second suggestion, I used the Borland database fix utility. It verified all the tables in the database I'm having trouble with and told me each table had no errors.

As far as the first suggestion is concerned, I tried using the database administrator to change the path but get back the message "Cannot edit PATH" for all databases (including the one I want to open and the sample database).

I've tried reinstalling K & K Pro but to no avail.

Any ideas?

Richard

Nick Hunter · Post by **Nick Hunter** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:54 am

When the Database Administrator tells you that it "Cannot edit path" that usually means that the current path is no longer valid. You are right to reinstall K&KPro in these circumstances but the problem is not in the K&KPro folder but in the Database Engine folder. So before reinstalling K&KPro delete the folder "C:\Program files\Common files\Borland shared\BDE" and that will force the re-installation of the BDE.

Just a note on the database fix utility; using "Verify" does not always highlight problems which "Rebuild" might fix.

Richard Brown · Post by **Richard Brown** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:54 am

Nick,

Thanks for your help.

I took your advice on using "rebuild" rather than "verify" and all were successful except for the rebuild of "Backup.Db" I assume that this is the root of my problems. Is there anything I can do about it?

I've also followed your advice and deleted the DBE folder and reinstalled K&KPro but I assume that is redundant given the failure of the rebuild.

I am able to use the database administrator to edit the path but I'm left with the original problem, that K&KPro seems to think it has opened my database but I get a blank K&K screen.

All the best,

Richard

Nick Hunter · Post by **Nick Hunter** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:55 am

The Backup.db table is not important - it is not used by K&KPro.

When you have opened the database in K&KPro, what exactly do you mean by a blank screen?

Does the database still contain data? "Tools | Statistics" will tell you this.

Maybe you are just looking at a blank part of the tree. Use "Go to family" to scroll to the main tree.

Maybe the tree display is turned off. Check "View | Tree Area".

Richard Brown · Post by **Richard Brown** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:55 am

Nick,

Many thanks again for getting back so quickly.

The problem in a nutshell, I think, is that K&K thinks it has opened thedata base I want it to but when it does so I get a family tree on screen which does not contain any data.

Walking this through, I can see a folder in windows explorer with the right name etc which contains about 1mb of data. (Interestingly, the backed up folders which I can open are about 6mb.)

When I try to get K&K to open this folder, a box flashes fleetingly on the screen which I think is the "updating tree area" box. I then get a screen which has a header K&K Pro followed by the correct database name but nothing on the body of the screen. Checking statistics as you suggest shows it to be empty. It is not a problem with looking at the wrong part of the screen etc.

I can open other databases.

I'd be interested in any further suggestions you may have but given the data loss I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that I need to get my deaddown and update my backed up tree.....

Richard

Nick Hunter · Post by **Nick Hunter** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:56 am

One last thing to try. After opening K&KPro use "File | Database | Pack".

However, it does seem as if there is no data in this database. Since it's not possible for K&KPro to erase the entire contents of a database, could something else have happened during the last session which could have resulted in an empty database?

Richard Brown · Post by **Richard Brown** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 11:56 am

Tried packing. No good. Computer clearly was doing something (message boxes flashed up on screen) but resulting database still nothing more than a blank K&K screen.

Could something else have happened during the last session which could have resulted in an empty database? Must have done. I got a "programme not responding message when I was turning off the computer. Might explain things.

Anyway, thanks for your help. Time to move on.

Richard