PRB: "Not a Database File" Error Using a Database File (87688)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows 3.0
  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS 2.0
  • Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS 2.5
  • Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS 2.5a
  • Microsoft FoxPro for Windows 2.5
  • Microsoft FoxPro for Windows 2.5a
  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Macintosh 3.0b
This article was previously published under Q87688

SYMPTOMS

Attempting to open a database file in Microsoft FoxPro fails with either a
Not a database file
or a
Not a Table
error message.

CAUSE

The database file header has been corrupted.

RESOLUTION

Even though FoxPro includes no method to rebuild the damaged database header, several third-party database-recovery utilities are available. Some utilities are listed in "More Information".

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about performing table maintenance using FoxPro low-level functions, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

135905 How to Retrieve Records that were Previously Zapped

The following list of database-recovery utilities is provided for your convenience. Products are listed in alphabetical order by product name. None of the products on the list is recommended over any other, nor over products not on the list. Please notify us of any additions, updates, or corrections to the list.

These utilities are supported by the third-party developers that wrote the utilities, not by Microsoft. The utilities on the list below have not been tested by Microsoft. The products included here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

dSalvage
Comtech Publishing, Limited
P.O. Box 12340
Reno, NV 89510
Phone: (702) 825-9000

DTools
EL Software
3809 Plaza Drive, #107-360
Oceanside, CA 92056
Phone: (619) 439-6617
Fax: (619) 439-9612

HeadFix or QuickFix-2
Hilco Software
11266 Barnett Valley Road
Sepastopol, CA 95472-9555
Phone: (707) 829-5011
Fax: (707) 829-5710

MemoPlus
Rory Data International
17 Thornburn Road
North Potomac, MD 20878
Phone: (301) 251-0497
Fax: (301) 258-6862

Recover 3.0 Abri Technologies
126 Blue Jay Rd.
Pierre, SD 57501 USA
Phone: (605) 224-0660
Web site: http:\\www.abri.com

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/24/2003
Keywords:kberrmsg kbprb KB87688
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.