Crystal Enterprise Causing Problems with MS Access?

[bdpitta]

Perhaps someone more familiar with Crystal Enterprise 8 or Access might be able to help me with this perplexing problem.

I have Microsoft Access 2000 installed on my PC and up until the day I installed Crystal Enterprise 8 it worked perfectly.

About 2 days after I installed Enterprise, I uninstalled it because it wasnt really what I was looking for.

Ever since then, Access does not work correctly.

I can open a database file with Access and get all the way to the main dialog box with the list of tables, querys, forms etc. But if I try to open a table, I get a simple error dialog that says "Unknown". I can create new tables in design mode, but once I try to open them I get the same (ever-so helpful)error message "Unknown". I can even open Forms in design mode and add columns from my tables to the form. I can also create new forms. But once it comes time to access data from the tables, it alway comes back with the same error. The error dialog box says "Microsoft Office" in the title bar and "Unknown" in the body, nothing else.

Naturally I checked these same database files on different PCs and they worked perfectly. Strangely, I can also still write crystal reports which read data from these tables and it workes fine. It is only when trying to open Access tables on my PC that I get this error.

So, of course the first thing I did was make sure I had all of the Office Updates and I did. Next I uninstalled Office completely and then reinstalled it, but still the same problem. Next I did a system restore back to a time when I didnt have that problem and still nothing worked. I even tried reinstalling Crystal Enterprise but this also did not fix the problem.

I am guessing that this problem has something to do with Crystal Enterperise, but I am definately not sure. But I have comepletely run out of ideas. My only hope is that someone has encountered something similar to this before and might be able to help.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Brian

 

[kenhamady]

I suppose anything is possible, but I can't imagine how CE affected Access.

If you move an Access MDB from an unaffected PC to this one can you open tables? If you move an MDB from this PC to an unaffected PC can you open it there? This should determine if it is the MDB or the program that is the problem.

Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Expert's Guide to Formulas / Tips and Tricks / Guide to Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

- tek@kenhamady.com

 

[synapsevampire]

Given all of the steps you'd taken, I'd be suspicious of a corrupted MDB, except that you also state that you recovered to a previous state without success.

There is a utility built in:

Tools->Database Utilities->Repair Database which might help, but make a backup of the database 1st.

And I once used the VB version to repair a database that Access itself could not (weird, but I was VERY thankful).

Eventually Access databases die, which is why people try not to use them in Mission Critical applications.

Good luck with it.

Ken identified some logical steps to take in the diagnosis (you had any sleep in the last month, Ken???), the next question is what do you have to repair...

-k

 

[bdpitta]

Thank you for responding, your help is greatly appreciated.

It is not the databases that are corrupted, it is the program. I have tried several different DBs and none of them will work on my PC and they all work on any other PC.

Its truly baffling, I just cant think of what else to do.

 

[kenhamady]

Got me stumped. It must be a pretty serious error for MS Access to fail after being reinstalled. No matter what caused the problem it should be fixed by reinstalling the program.

What did you restore on the "System Restore". Obviously some files are different now than they were then. You could post this question in the Crystal Enterprise forum, because I am pretty sure that many folks have your configuration with no problem. Did you have to do anything to get the PC ready for CE, like configure a web server?

Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Expert's Guide to Formulas / Tips and Tricks / Guide to Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

- tek@kenhamady.com

 

[bdpitta]

I used the Microsoft 'System Restore' utility. I am not exactly sure what the process entails.

I didnt make any changes when I loaded Enterprise, I just put the CD in and followed the prompts. I really dont know if it has anything to do with my problem, I am just guessing it does because I loaded it around the same time Access stopped working.

I am going to try posting this in the CE forum.

Thanks again for your help.

My next step maybe having to wipe the computer clean and start over again. Hopefully it doesnt come to that.