Member Avatar for crazynp

When I was editing the databse, the power went off and now arror comes as "Unrecognized file format ...............". I tried to compact and repair but no success. how to recover data?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Ernest_3

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A short, practical recovery checklist and a few extra options that complement the replies above (several members — , , , , , — have already suggested third‑party tools).

Stop further writes and work on copies

  • Make at least two file-level copies of the corrupted .mdb and work only on copies. If the file is on removable media or a network share, copy it to a local drive first. If the file size is 0 KB or the timestamp looks wrong (truncated), chances of recovery drop sharply.

Try Access-native recovery paths (on copies)

  • Open the copy in Access using Open → (drop‑down) → Open Exclusive, then run Compact & Repair.
  • If Compact & Repair fails, create a new blank .mdb (same Access/Jet version if possible) and use External Data → Import to bring in Tables first, then Queries/Forms/Modules. If import fails for some objects, try linking tables from the corrupt file into the blank DB and exporting the data out.

Use utilities before buying anything

  • The standalone Jet Compact utility (jetcomp.exe) can sometimes repair files the GUI can’t — run it on a copy. If comfortable with *nix, the open‑source mdbtools family can sometimes extract table data where Access cannot. Commercial recovery utilities are a valid fallback (members above recommended several); always test a demo to verify recoverable objects before paying.

Quick VBA workflow to batch‑import known tables (run from a new blank DB)

Sub ImportTablesFromCorrupt()
    Dim src As String
    src = "C:\path\corrupt.mdb"  ' change to the copy being worked on
    Dim tbls As Variant
    tbls = Array("Table1", "Table2")  ' replace with actual names
    Dim i As Integer
    For i = LBound(tbls) To UBound(tbls)
        On Error Resume Next
        DoCmd.TransferDatabase acImport, "Microsoft Access", src, acTable, tbls(i), tbls(i)
        If Err.Number <> 0 Then
            Debug.Print "Failed to import: " & tbls(i) & " - " & Err.Description
            Err.Clear
        End If
    Next i
End Sub

Final notes

  • Test all recovered data for integrity (keys, relationships, autonumbers). If built‑in and free/open tools fail, a reputable commercial product or a professional service can often recover more — but always verify with the demo output before purchasing. After recovery, implement regular backups (file copy + periodic compact) to avoid future data loss.
Member Avatar for zyl

I think you can try a popular Access database recovery tool called Advanced Access Repair to repair your Access MDB file. It is a powerful tool to repair corrupt or damaged Access MDB files.

Detailed information about Advanced Access Repair can be found at http://www.datanumen.com/aar/

And you can also download a free demo version at http://www.datanumen.com/aar/aar.exe

Alan

Member Avatar for Richard_81

Simply try access repair utility to repair your access database. Hers is one of them Stellar Phoenix access recovery, it is one of the best software which I found. You can try trial version first from here ;

If you are able to see your database then buy the full version to save your recover database.

Member Avatar for Steal32

When we use access 2003 in vista then compact and repair utility create this type of problem due to version issue. You can fix this error by installing Access 2003 post-Service Pack 3 hotfix package. You can download it from here . If still you are facing the problem you can import your database to new blank database and import everything from old database. Or you can use some access repair software. I have used one software that is compatible with every version of Microsoft Access :Stellar Phoenix Access Recovery Software.

Good Luck

Member Avatar for fyz

When I was editing the databse, the power went off and now arror comes as "Unrecognized file format ...............". I tried to compact and repair but no success. how to recover data?

Hi,

There is a tool called Advanced Access Repair. I have used it to repair many corrupt Access MDB files on my damaged disks successfully. Maybe you can have a try.

Alan

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