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  1. #1
    Stevef8 is offline Novice
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    Compact & Repair: "Database Already Exists"


    Recently attempted to perform a manual C&R on several databases. In each instance, I get a dialog stating that the "Database Already Exists".

    I've done some research & know that during the C&R process, a temporary DB is made, the original DB is compacted into the temp DB, the original DB is deleted & the temp DB is renamed. It would appear that somehow the temp DB file is already present & so cannot be created.

    I'm perfectly happy to delete any of the temp DB's that happen to exist before starting another C&R. The question is: where are they, and what are they named?

    Thanks,
    Steve

  2. #2
    CJ_London is offline VIP
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    they will be in the same folder as the db you are compacting. It might have something to do with your db name or path or disk capacity, or it might be your db is corrupted. Suggest copy file to another folder and C&R from there and see if that solves the problem

  3. #3
    Stevef8 is offline Novice
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    Copying to another folder did the job. I'd still like to find & delete that temp DB in the original folder. Any idea what the name would be? Any special attributes that might hide it from view?

    Thanks,
    Steve

  4. #4
    CJ_London is offline VIP
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    not sure - think it is the same name as the db plus something like 'backup'

    suggest order your files in date order and look at the ones for the date in question.

    Can also try a reboot

  5. #5
    isladogs's Avatar
    isladogs is offline MVP / VIP
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    The temp database created during a C&R is called database.mdb (even if the file being compacted is an ACCDB file) and is in the same folder
    Colin, Access MVP, Website, email
    The more I learn, the more I know I don't know. When I don't know, I keep quiet!
    If I don't know that I don't know, I don't know whether to answer

  6. #6
    Stevef8 is offline Novice
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    Interesting -- the file database.mdb is not listed in the folder, yet the error still occurs:
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Any attributes that need to be cleared for it to show up?

    Thanks
    Steve

  7. #7
    orange's Avatar
    orange is online now Moderator
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    My suspicion/guess is that that file is deleted once the C&R is completed successfully.

  8. #8
    Stevef8 is offline Novice
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    Quote Originally Posted by orange View Post
    My suspicion/guess is that that file is deleted once the C&R is completed successfully.
    Yes, I would agree. However, I would also expect future C&R tasks to successfully complete if: this is in fact the name of the temporary file, and it has actually been deleted. This does not happen unless the files are moved to a different folder and the C&R is done there.

    Thanks,
    Steve

  9. #9
    isladogs's Avatar
    isladogs is offline MVP / VIP
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    To be precise, the database.mdb file is created as a compacted version of the original, the original is then deleted and database.mdb renamed as the original filename.
    If you have a very large app you may have sufficient time to see this happening in Explorer.

    @Stevef8
    Suggest you close all running instances of Access in Task Manager then delete any orphaned .ldb or .laccdb files remaining
    Colin, Access MVP, Website, email
    The more I learn, the more I know I don't know. When I don't know, I keep quiet!
    If I don't know that I don't know, I don't know whether to answer

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