MS Access Missing 'MSysDb' Object Error

[Mantra]

This does not affect SD V16 ActinicCatalog database which is working just fine.
However, whilst trying to access Sellerdeck yesterday afternoon, Windows Defender flagged up a secutiy warning blocking access with options like Stop, Allow or Cancel (not sure exactly of wording). Anyway I just clicked 'Allow' and the application proceeded to open without any further problem. Regrettably I omitted to take a screen shot of the warning.
The issue I have is that the 'MSysDb' error (see screenshot attached) flagged up on our main back office database application so it appears that the file has been corrupted in some way and this has been replicated in the backup file on restore and because the database will not open I cannot access the database compact and repair tool to see if this resolves the problem.
I am trying to get this resolved with Microsoft support but this is proving a little difficult.
Has anyone experienced any similar issues or have any suggestions on how to get it resolved?
Martin
Mantra Audio

[Mike Hughes]

Reading around it looks like it's a corrupted database that's causing the problem.

The typical suggestion I see is to try and use MS Access to do a 'compact and Repair'. I realise we don't all have MS Access (myself included) in which case I would suggest either a) trying to get help from someone who does or b) there's a program I use called MDB Viewer Plus which is a brilliant piece of freeware by Alex Nolan and has a 'compact and repair' option.

As always, make a backup of the database before trying to do anything to it.

Mike

[Mantra]

Reading around it looks like it's a corrupted database that's causing the problem.

The typical suggestion I see is to try and use MS Access to do a 'compact and Repair'n..

For information only - this does not directly concern Sellerdeck software application(s).

Yes the database was definitely corrupted and could not be opened in any form not even to run a compact and repair.

A similar problem happened once before and on this occasion I was able to restore the last automated backup copy so had only lost a few records that needed to be re-entered.

This time the database had been backed up with the corruption so an uncorrupted copy could not be restored.

As expected Microsoft could not offer any useful support or suggestions to repair Access applications so I contacted the nearest Access software application service provider for help and they suggested that I consider Access repair software offered by Datanumen. Considering the cost and risk that the application may not solve my problem, I opted to purchase lower priced Stellar Acces Data Repair software.

This worked to an extent except:

1. The repaired Access Report, Macro and Module objects could not be saved together with the Tables, Quers(s) and Form objects,

2. All date fields with DD Number <= 12 were transposed with YY Number in US MMDDYY format on repair so for example 12-Feb-19 was transformed over to 2-Dec-19, whereas 13-Feb-19 remained unchanged.

I was able to resolve the first problem by importing the Report, Macro and Module objects from a previous separate design backup copy.

The second problem took a lot more sorting to restore all dates in the repective table date fields that had been transformed from US back to UK date format. This had to be done selectively and carefully using Excel Data Text to Column utility and formula to reverse the transformations as values for import back into new Access tables to update existing table(s) date fields - so in essence I needed to do a repair on a repair!!

Other users need to be aware that there could be a risk of this happening with Access and possibly also Excel repair and recovery applications particularly as they will have been developed primarily for US applications.

Lesson learned - do not rely on restoring important and critical business applications that are live on a daily basis in the event that any corruption leading to a failure or crash may be replicated in the automated backup.

I eventually resolved my problem but this took a lot of time and concentration, so I am now keeping separate backups of important and critical business applications on a daily/ weekly basis just in case of any future problems.

Martin

[Jan]

I am glad that you have sorted this, just a quick tip for the future, you can compact and repair an access database from the ODBC control panel page, just open it up (the 32 bit version) and then click on your database in the list (ActinicCatalognn), click on the configure option and there is then a repair button and a compact button.

Cheers,

Jan

[Mike Hughes]

Hi Martin, it sounds like you've been through the wringer with this which must have been horrible. I'm really glad you've managed to get it sorted.

Nice report too. There's a lot of good advice there for all of us.

[Mantra]

I am glad that you have sorted this, just a quick tip for the future, you can compact and repair an access database from the ODBC control panel page, just open it up (the 32 bit version) and then click on your database in the list (ActinicCatalognn), click on the configure option and there is then a repair button and a compact button.

Thank you for tip for the future which I have kept a record of.
I note that the ODBC control panel can be accessed by typing ODBC in Windows Start search result.
I had kept a copy of the corrupted database so out of interest I added this to the list as you suggested and tried the compact then repair buttons but again this just returned "ODBC Microsoft Access Driver Login Failed - The Microsoft jet datbase engine could not find the object 'MSysDb'."
I am relieved that I eventually got it sorted.
I am still concerned though that the corruption may have been caused by a Windows Defender Security Alert pop-up that blocked access to the Sellerdeck application until after clicking the Allow button.
Have any other users experienced similar Windows Defender Security Alerts?
Windows Defender is not my default firewall and virus protection application so should not intervene in this way.
If anyone does experience such a problem they should take a screenshot of the Security Alert and report it to verify that it is genuine before proceeding further.
Martin
Mantra Audio