Error Message and 2GB Limit on Attachments?

[kpo]

Hello,

I just started receiving the following error message when trying to add a picture attachment to an entry in a table...

[Cannot open database “. It may not be a database that your application recognizes, or the file may be corrupt.]

I read another Q&A forum from Microsoft where they said something about a 2GB limit on table attachments. The DB is already split to a FE and BE and the BE is at a 1.99GB file size. I was unaware of a GB limit. Is this why I am receiving this error message?

Thanks in advance!!

[JoeM]

The 2 GB size limitations is a limitation on the whole size of your database (not just on attachments).
Do you compact and repair your database regularly? That will help keep it from bloating and keep the size down.
If you really have that much data, I would recommend looking to store the back-end date in something built to handles larger sizes, like SQL, mySQL, Oracle, etc.
At the very least, you might need to split the data until multiple back-ends.

[kpo]

Thank you JoeM. I will try to compact and repair and see if that helps! If not I will look into your other suggestions.

We might start using SharePoint Online soon. Do you know if the same limitations apply to databases on SharePoint?

[JoeM]

If you have never done a Compact and Repair, it is possible that your database is really bloated, and that may fix your problem.
It is a good idea to run it regularly, especially if you are regularly deleting data from any tables in the database.

I'm sorry, I do not really know anything at all about SharePoint.

[kpo]

Thank you JoeM. I do not regularly Compact and Repair but I will start. After the C&R I just completed the database size didn't change. We are still at 1.99GB and we have a lot of inventory info still to input into the database. So, I will have to check into other options.

[June7]

The option is to not store objects in attachment field. Instead store path to external object in text or hyperlink field. AFAIK, Access is the only db app with an attachment field type so if migrated to SQL, Oracle, etc., this would have to be the approach.