MS Access database repair

While MS Access is a wonderful tool, it’s a sad fact of life that databases occasionally become corrupt. This is a scary thought, especially once your database has grown to play a vital part of your business. Database corruption threatens not just your data but also your survival.
With that in mind, we have put together a short list of what can go wrong and what you can do about it. We have extensive experience in handling databases, and we’d like to help you sleep at nights.
During our extensive experience in database handling, we have often come across clients who become apprehensive under such scenarios. So, we thought of collating the probable causes of database corruption, and methods to overcome these.
MS Access Database Repair

We can recover a Database

Hardware Failure.
What happens?

Hardware failure is one of the most common reasons for problems with your database. At best you will be unable to use your database until the system is repaired, and at worst you may lose data. The problem arises when ageing hard disks or other storage devices become unreliable or fail altogether.

What to do about it

When your database is an integral part of your business, regular backups are imperative. Use up-to-date hardware with sufficient storage capacity.

Software Failure.
What happens?

Improper recovery of the system file, also known as software failure, is another major cause of corruption in Access databases. Resource conflicts on the system and file system corruption can also cause database failure.

What to do about it

Make sure to use the correct method of recovering the system file. Always keep your file system in working order and maintain the system in such a way as to avoid resource conflicts.

Unexpected system shutdown or disrupted network
What happens?

Accidental system shutdowns or power failures can corrupt open Access files. A sudden break in network connectivity may have the same effect.

What to do about it

Shut down your system methodically, and ensure that you have backup power in case the mains supply fails. Make sure your network connections are robust – this will improve performance as well as preventing file corruption.

Poor database design:
What happens?

Competent coding is critical to make sure the application not only meets current needs but will continue to do so as the database grows. Any fault in the coding can corrupt the database, so efficient design is crucial.

What to do about it

While you might have to spend a few extra bucks, it is always better to get your database built by experienced developers with a thorough knowledge of the product. The coding needs to be foolproof – your business relies on it.

Malware Attack
What happens?

It is challenging to protect your computer from modern malware, some of which is capable of corrupting your ACCDB and MDB files. Skilled hackers can cause such damage that recovering your files becomes next to impossible.

What to do about it

First, make sure the system running your critical databases is protected by a reliable antivirus product, and keep it updated. Next, check with your developers that their applications can withstand malware attacks.

ImproImproper database operation:
What happens?

Very often we find corruption to be caused by misuse. If a user mistakenly disconnects the database from its application, damage can result.

What to do about it

Make sure your users are trained to handle critical databases properly. Whenever we hand a solution over to a client we make sure they know how to manage it safely and deal with day-to-day issues. If a database does need to be disconnected, make sure you know the correct procedures.