Lost MDW file

[Andymackk]

Just started a new job, and staff have a database that was created by third party company (now defunct). All worked well, and had over 1 years data on it. The DB was on the server, and the mdw file was on the local machine. 1 knackered hard drive later, db cannot be accessed because no mdw file ( and no copy). Admin has no access. Is there any way I can get at the data on this db (even by exporting it)?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

 

[THoey]

Can you create a new DB, and then import the table objects from the locked DB? Terry
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[Quehay]

Hopefully the security wasn't activated. If it was, and you don't have the PID, etc., needed to recreate the MDW you won't be able to import the objects. If it was just the typical system.mdw without activated security you can use any generic copy of this file to get going.

 

[Andymackk]

That is the problem... the security has been enabled. The normal system.mdw wont work, because admin has no permissions. Is there any way round this?

 

[Quehay]

You'll need the identifiers with which the custom mdw was created. Then you can create a new mdw that will work with this db. This should be on paper or file or in personal memory somewhere, unless those who created the security didn't know what they were doing...

 

[fogal]

Just a thought.
Try creating a new database and linking to your mdb file. Even though admin does not have any permissions to open the db, the creator may not have disabled admin's permissions to view data within the database tables.

Alternatively, if you could just remember pids and sids of just 1 workgroup and user account you may be able to access the database.

Good luck.

 

[Andymackk]

Thanks for the replies,
Unfortunately usernames/logins are not known ( usual user response... i dunno/wasn't me/someone else had them.. usual crap).

I will try to link the DB from another tho.. will let you know if it works.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Bry12345]

I'm not exactly sure what "knackering" a hard drive does, but I'll assume it got hosed in some way . . . maybe a forensic approach to the old drive will work?

I'd try running a deleted file recovery on the old drive. If that doesn't work, maybe search the free space on the drive looking for the header of the .mdw file. If you find it (you may find several . . all versions of the original mdw), copy out the binary from the header to the <eof> (if you can find it) or just copy out a fairly big chunk starting with the header into a new file. You may be able to reconstruct the .mdw doing this.