ACC: SCSI Drives Generate "Corruption" Error Loading Database

ID: Q100159

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

When you are loading a Microsoft Access database file from a SCSI drive, you may receive the following error message:

<filename> is corrupted or is not a database file. Attempt to repair?

Attempts to repair the database do not solve the problem.


CAUSE

There is probably nothing wrong with the database file. The actual problem is that Microsoft Windows version 3.1 is having trouble accessing the SCSI drive.


RESOLUTION

Add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS file on your drive. If you already have a line in your CONFIG.SYS file that references SMARTDRV.EXE, modify it to match the following line. After adding or modifying this line, restart your computer. 


   DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\SMARTDRV.EXE /double_buffer

NOTE: If the computer is running MS-DOS 6.0 or a later version, use C:\DOS instead of C:\WINDOWS to load the newest version of SMARTDRV.EXE.


MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Windows 3.1 requires the double_buffer switch in the SMARTDRV.EXE line to start in 386 enhanced mode on most SCSI drives. On a computer where Windows is not located on the SCSI drive, it is possible that Windows has started in 386 enhanced mode but that the double buffer is not in use.


REFERENCES

Microsoft Windows "User's Guide," version 3.1, Chapter 14 


Keywords          : kbenv kberrmsg 
Version           : 100 1.1 2.0
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: March 23, 1999