Memo file size limits?

[FoxyPro]

I have a table that has a .dbf and .cdx well below the size limit of 2GB combined. However, the .fpt file is now 2.2 GB. I had read somewhere that the only limit to an .fpt file size is your hard drive space. Is the limit truly 2 GB for the size of an .fpt file? How do I recover the data? I did run Abri Recover tool on it and it showed a memo pointer error and recovered 3081581/167304 memos, according to its report. Please help!

 

[FoxyPro]

I forgot to say that I am using FoxPro 2.6 for Windows and that I ran the Recover tool on it because all of a sudden, the memo file could not be read.

 

[rgbean]

Memo files (.FPT) also are limited by the 2gb restriction. If you read a "limited by your hard drive space" comment, it was likely in an FP DOS help file, and when it was written 2gb was more than ANYONE could imagine would be available.

Hopefully you have some backups from before the 2gb was exceeded.

Rick

 

[FoxyPro]

Is there a way to hack the .fpt file to get the data back?

 

[rgbean]

I suppose with a hex editor you might be able to "recover" the data that is stored in the area beyond the 2gb limit. (Recover in this context is probably just saving off the spillover data into another file.) However, I'm not sure how you'd link that data back up to the original records.

The MS FPW Developer's Guide, in Appendix A, has the documented layout of the FPT file, but it doesn't seem to provide any info on what's in the memo field in the DBF. You'll probably have to create some small test files to work out the details. I wish you luck.

Rick

 

[FoxyPro]

Thanks. Okay, I will experiment on a copy of it. Now, I have read different things, as I said about size limits. Just to be sure I understand now about the size limits, please tell me if this is right for FPW:
The maximum size of a .dbf file is 2GB
The maximum size of a .dbf plus a .cdx file together is 2GB
The maximum size of a .fpt file is 2GB.
Thanks.

 

[rgbean]

1) and 3) are correct, but I believe 2) should be:
The maximum size of a .dbf or it's .cdx file is 2GB

Rick