Why is my 20Mb Access Database now > 1.2Gb ?!?

[lauerj]

I created 2 queries and was messing around with the formatting of a few forms in my application and next thing I know it starts acting REALLY slow. When I finally closed the application, i noticed the database that was ~20Mb large when I started is now over 1.2Gb large - what could have happened????

 

[jbehrne]

Are you storing pictures? Have you tried compacting and repairng the database? Just a couple of thoughts...

If at first you don't succeed, call in an airstrike. - Murphy's Laws of Combat Operations

 

[Rick39]

Some hints/tips in thread181-550387

 

[lauerj]

Alright I am dumb. Why does this happen though? any tips for keeping my application as light-weight as possible?

 

[jbehrne]

Hmmm... Does it show the balloned size after you close it every time or just this once? I would think that if you are editing a massive amount of data then some size increase is to be expected (but as far as 1.2 gigs!??). Check your fields and make sure that you are not saving extrenious data (IE - spaces if you don't need them...), or if you are saving pictures try alternatives to saving them in the db. Good luck

If at first you don't succeed, call in an airstrike. - Murphy's Laws of Combat Operations

 

[lauerj]

It's not immediately balooning in size but I have noticed a significant performance decrease. It literally takes 60 seconds to save every time I make a design change to an embedded form. I'm on a pretty good laptop computer, any ideas?

 

[Flo79]

It seems to me that repairing and compacting your database is the most obvious solution (see Access help future on how to do this). If this does not help, I am not sure...

 

[WildHare]

A rise from +/- 20 meg to 1.2 gigs ( a 50-fold increase) indicates a serious problem somewhere.

There are basically two things which cause an otherwise fairly static database to grow in size:

1) Lots of table deletes and erases (and by lots, I mean entire tables being deleted and then reloaded with data) Deleted records are not physically erased until a compact is done.

2) Corruption. (after all, it IS Microsoft Windows...

Try creating a new database and importing your other dbs' objects into it, and working with the new guy for a while.

Storing embedded images also tends to bloat the db, but you didn't say whether you do that or not.


jim


Me? Ambivalent? Well, yes and no....
Another free Access forum:

http://www.forumco.com/jmhare

More Access stuff at

http://www.jmhare.com/wildhare.htm

 

[Databaseguy]

Your probably still developing the DB, right ? When you're constantly adding and deleting objects (or making desing changes) to your DB, Access deletes the object but still allocates room for it.

When your done with that particular version of your DB, compact and repair and distribute it to your users. It shouldn't grow after that (with the exception of adding and deleting from tables)

 

[jbehrne]

Hi again,

I found this link:

http://www.fmsinc.com/tpapers/faster/

It has quite a few tips for getting Access apps to run faster, thought it might help you out...

Good luck

If at first you don't succeed, call in an airstrike. - Murphy's Laws of Combat Operations

 

[lauerj]

I narrowed the problem down. All that have to do is switch between the Design View and Form View and it grows in size each time (usually 2-3Mb) each time I switch from one to the other. What is going on?

 

[pweegar]

What is your form load doing? You stated that switching between design and form view causes your db to grow. Sounds like data is getting replicated someplace, esp. when the form is loaded.

Is your db full of duolicates? Full of blank records? As mentioned elsewhere, run dbrepair. Also, IF your db is full of empty records, run a delete query that deletes those empty records, then do the compact/repair.