Backup of Microsoft Access .mdbFile Problem

[eliascm]

I am using Retrospect Professional V7.5.285 under Windows XP Professional. I have no problems backing up and retrieving files except for Microsoft Access .dbm files. When I retrieve a filename.mdb file and try to copy or rename it I get the following message from Windows:

 

Cannot rename/copy filename.mdb. The file cannot be accessed by system.

 

I tried this with several different mdb files with the same result. The original files reside on an HP MediaSmart Server accessed via a local intranet.

 

Obviously backing up these files is useless if I cannot use the retrieved files.

 

Can someone help me with this?

 

Thanks,

 

Charles

[blm14]

My guess is that people have the .mdb file open which means there is a .ldb file in the same directory.

 

Retrospect is not capable (without the open file backup module, I think) of backing up files which other machines have a lock on. You could either tell your users not to access the database when you're backing up, or you could put a script in it that automatically kicks people out of the database at a certain time...

 

In my experience, though, putting MS access databases on a shared drive FREQUENTLY results in phantom .ldb files when nobody actually has the database open, which is why I've totally stopped using them that way.

[eliascm]

Thanks for the reply. When I retrieve the dbm file I have it put in a Temp directory. In the cases I cited it is the only file in the directory.

 

The files I am having a problem with are originally on a shared drive because they are the "back end" of an Access database. Each user has a copy of the "front end", but the back end, which contains the tables, queries, etc., is shared. If this were not the case each database would be independent and if an item were added or modified by one user none of the other users would know about this transaction which, in this case, would defeat the purpose of the database. The shared drive does not have an idb file. It does have an mdw file that holds workgroup information.

 

The backups are scheduled for a time when no one is at work. Furthermore, the log shows no errors for the backup so Retrospect is apparently not having a problem with the file being in use.

Charles

 

Edited December 18, 2009 by Guest