Why You Should Go For Manual Techniques To Recover Corrupt Access Database Files?

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  • Published on
    March 9th, 2017
  • Updated on
    February 18, 2021
  • Read Time
    9 minutes

So here you are, trying to figure out the best techniques to recover corrupt Access Database of yours.

And here I am, your Microsoft Access Database Expert, sharing you the best manual procedures and techniques to fix corrupt access files of yours. With this article, I will share with you some unknown techniques which no other experts will tell you to recover your MDB files.

Being an expert, it’s a hard task to provide consultation to my readers just by writing an article. As everyone of you must be facing a different issue. So let’s get into this and see, what are the frequently asked questions? So if you are facing these questions, then this blog is the answer for your query.

  • Facing Microsoft Access corruption and don’t know How to fix corrupt Access files?
  • Your MDB files not working and looking to restore MS Access database?
  • Being from a non-technical background and want to repair MDB files?
  • Want to recover corrupt access database without any third party tool?
  • Or just looking for a good and effective MDB repair tool?

So finally all these bla-bla is over and we would now get into the MDB file recovery process.

Why Access Database Gets Corrupted & How Can We Fix Corrupt Access Files?

MS Access being a Microsoft product is known for its great ability to store huge data and easy interface and reliability. Almost all of the MS tools are famous and renowned tools. And due to this, most of us in personal and as well as in professional life use MS Access for these awesome abilities. But there is a small glitch and that is MS Access is a data base tool and data base tools are more prone of getting infected or corrupted.

Oh yes!! you heard it right. MS Access does get corrupt if not handled with care.

There are many reasons of Access files corruption and in most of the times, you would never find that something went wrong in your database. This is good and bad too. Good because our work is not interrupted and bad because if we don’t rectify it then there is a great chance of getting worse.

So let’s check some of the Corruption causes:

  • Inelegant Shutdown: The single most and one of the biggest causes of corruptions is inelegant shutdown of your system. This include:
    Irresponsive Window or system while you are working on your database.
    Shutting down your system without properly closing down your database.
    Power failure while working on your access files.
    Working on a system with less than 50mb free disk-space.
  • Hardware failure like bad sectors and lost packets on network may result in file corruption.
  • Virus Infection: If your database uses a virus infected file then there is a great chance that your whole database might get infected and finally inaccessible and corrupted.
  • Even a few bugs in your access database and even in Jet Software may lead to corruption.
  • Multiple users using the same database and having different Jetpacks may lead to minor differences. Which ultimately results in database corruption.

Now, let’s see how we can prevent your database being corrupted or inaccessible:

  • Splitting Is All you Need: It would be a better option to split your database if more than one user is going to use your database. Split your database into two parts one for backend which stores tables and a frontend which stores everything else. There is an inbuilt wizard for this you can take the help of this tool.
  • Say No To Memo Fields: Yes, never use to try not to use a memo field. If you really need memo for your work then create a separate table for it and then generate a one to one relationship with the parent table. As these memo-fields often cause corruption. Hence these types of corruptions can be repaired but you might lose some data from the table.
  • Avoid Storing Images: Avoid storing or using images in your database. It isn’t made for this so better keep away. As it might lead to corruption
  • Issues With Wi-Fi: Powerful-neighborhood networks or multiple users using the same Wi-Fi can cut-off your connection abruptly. Which may cause corrupt Access database if you are working on it.
  • MAC & Windows. A BIG NO: Always establish different or separate networks for both these type of users. Users who are using MAC and users who are using Windows. MAC users are quite noisy with all their graphic files movement and printing. So it is always a good idea to keep two different networks for both database users and graphics traffic.

So these were the best precautionary measures you may take to save your Microsoft database files from getting corrupted. Or else I am here, to tell you the methods to repair or recover corrupt access database.

Top 3 Manual Techniques To Restore MS Access Database

I know you have been waiting to see the Heading for quite a long time. So here is it. The manual procedures to repair MDB Files of your Microsoft Access Database or to fix corrupt access files.

1) Inbuilt Compact And Repair To Repair MDB Files

Being a daily user, I know that MS Access database grow quickly in leaps and bounds. And the size of this database gets bigger there comes a great risk of corruption. To solve this issue Microsoft has an in-built tool named Compact & Repair to fix corrupt access files. Follow Step By Step Technique For Access Classic Menu:

  • Go to Menu
  • Click on Tools
  • Choose Database Utilities in the drop-down menu
  • And then select Compact & Repair Database in the next drop-down menu.

repair corrupt access database

For Access 2007:

  • Top left corner Office button, click on that
  • Choose Manage button in the drop-down menu
  • Then Select Compact and Repair Database

ms access

For Access 2010 & 2013:

  • Click on Database Tools Tab
  • Then click on Compact & Repair button

ms access 2013

Note: For all these above options, as soon as you will click on Compact and Repair, a new window will popup where you have to browse the location of your database that you want to repair.

2) Import Corrupt Files To A New Database & Restore MS Access Database:

The second best way to restore MS access database is to import these corrupt files to a new database. follow the mention below steps to recover corrupt access database files.

  • Open your MicrosoftAccess and create a new database in your Access. For that just Click on “Create a new file” on your right-hand side panel

ms access

  • Now go to “External data” on the access task bar

recover corrupt access database files

  • Now choose Access to import your files

mdf file recovery

  • As soon as you would click on Access, a new window will pop up with a name “Get External Data – Access Database”. Now just go to browse button and search and select the database files to import.

ms access database

  • Browse and click Ok.

mdb repair tool

  • Choose the object and click Ok.

access database recovery

  • Select “Save Import Steps” and click Ok.

recover corrupt access database

Note: It doesn’t allow you to recover corrupt access database or files but to restore those files which are not yet corrupted.

3) Turning Off  Auto Correct Feature:

This is the final step to recover corrupt access database files. I wouldn’t term it as a recovery method but it is mostly a precautionary method. This feature in Microsoft Access always create an issue in your database. So its recommendable to always turn off this feature.

For MS Access 2000, 2002, & 2003:

  • Go To Tools
  • Click on Options
  • Select General and uncheck all of the given options

For MS Access 2007:

  • Click on Access Logo
  • Then select Access Options
  • And Uncheck the Track Name Autocorrect Info.

For MS Access 2010:

  • Go to File
  • Click on Options
  • Select Current Database
  • And uncheck all options

Why We Need MDB Repair Tools?

These manual techniques to repair MDB files are good but sometimes not effective. I have been working with these manual procedures for a long time and these techniques do work most of the times but sometimes just don’t click. So if these manual procedures can’t fix corrupt access files for some reason then I would suggest you to go for a third party, MDB Repair Tool. I have seen and tested most of these recovery softwares in the market. Al of these are quite good in restoring your corrupted files. But If you are looking for a good MDB repair Tool, then I would suggest you to prefer MS Access Database Recovery Software from SysInfoTools.

I have used their software and tested it too on various factors. And trust me, it worked nice. It has some amazing features which you might not get in other tools.

  • Can repair the most corrupted MDB and ACCDB Files
  • Can restore BLOB data
  • It also supports recovery of huge MEMO & OLE Data.
  • Can recover and restore all data and file objects from your corrupted database files.
  • Two mode recovery: Standard and Advance Mode
  • Highly compatible with Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10.
  • Simple and Easy interface.

So here, I recommended you one of my tried and tested recovery tool to repair MDB files. Now I would tell you, the step by step procedure to use this MDB Repair tool/software so that you can effectively recover corrupt access database files.

Step 1: Simply launch this MS Access Database Recovery software and browse the file for recovery. Choose your recovery mode and modes and select Ok

ms access database recovery

Step 2: As soon as you will click on OK. The scanning process would start and it would take a minute or so to complete scanning of your files.

mdb repair tool

Step 3: Now in the third step to restore MS Access database, first checkout the preview of the scanned files by clicking on to the files. Now select the files you want to recover and click Ok.

access database recovery

Step 4: Browse and select the location where you want to save your files.

sysinfo access database repair tool

Step 5: Now the repairing process would start. It would take some minutes, so wait until it gets completed.

sysinfo mdb recovery

Step 6: After some time, a popup box will appear on your screen “Saving Process completed”. Click OK.

sysinfo access database recvery

And that’s it. You are done. This MDB Repair Tool has successfully helped you in restoring your MS Access Database.

Hope now you guys know, how to recover corrupt Access Database with the help of manual techniques and also with a little bit of assistance from an MDB Repair Tool.

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