There are many links among the ebase files, (there are 29 of them),
which get confused when one or more files are unreadable because of
damage. When you start back up again you have to tell FileMaker where
to find the damaged file. FileMaker fixes that link, but because
there are many relationship, calculations, and scripts that refer to
the damaged file, it takes a frustrating long time to wash out all
the damaged references. You just need to keep telling it where to
find the file (like you are with summary_.102).
Note that in what I have written below I refer to the recovery
procedure several times. You have already started through it.
Recently we have become aware that the FileMaker recover process is
not as solid as we would like. It apparently sometimes leaves
lingering damage that doesn't become apparent for some time. The
recommendation now is to restore from the most recent backup. If you
haven't made many changes to ebase, it might make sense to use the
recover process to get where you have all your data back, then import
the data into a new set of ebase files.
That said, a couple other things you mention are troubling. You say
you have ebase files copied in many different folders. Does that mean
multiple copies, or the same file set distributed in many different
places? Both are trouble, in different ways. You should have only one
copy of the ebase files, all in the same directory. All the links I
mentioned above assume that the files are all in the same folder. If
you have multiple copies you may well get confused during this
recovery process and point one of the damaged links to the wrong file
set. Find your primary file set and move all the others off the
machine.
OK, so now your source codes are missing, and the membership
expirations aren't getting calculated. Source codes are stored in a
file called solicit_.102, and the source code definitions in a file
called srcdef_.102. Check that those two files are undamaged, by
attempting to define a new source code (you can delete it later). If
they are missing or damaged, they won't show up in the pulldown menu
in payments file. Recover them if necessary. Similarly, the default
membership and grace periods are stored in the file setup_.102. Run
the setup wizard (from admin screen 2) to insure the setup file is
available and undamaged. Recover them if necessary.
Oh, yes, your original printing issue. Yes, you should let the script
continue. Running a report usually requires finding a particular set
of records, sorting them in a specified order to get the totals and
summaries to come out right, shifting to a different layout, and
_then_ printing. Just calling the Print menu item won't get it right.
Regarding the issue of opening ebase, I suspect that before your hard
drive was re-worked, you had an alias (called a shortcut on Windows)
for ebase on your desktop. Double-click that and it starts FileMaker
and ebase. Right now you are just starting Filemaker and it asks what
you want to do.
At 11:18 AM -0700 1/10/01, Roland and Lisa Morris wrote:
>I am the only user of ebase for our organization. There is no one here to
>ask about this. I'm self taught.
>
>I had never tried to print a payment report for a member before, so this was
>my first time. Not knowing how, I used the menu bar above, rather than
>continuing the script and printing.
>
>Well, needless to say , the program revolted and froze. I shut down, and
>was relieved when everything came back normal. And then I tried again. I
>still didn't realize what the problem was. I didn't understand why it
>wouldn't print from the same command I would use for a Word document.
>
>Anyway, this time when I tried to come back, it told me to go to Recovery.
>
>I shut down ebase and went through the recovery just as the manual tells you
>to, creating a new names file, naming it just as the original
>("names_.102").
>
>It didn't work. It couldn't find "names_.102".
>
>I shut down, deleted my "new" names file, and recovered again. Again, it
>couldn't find "names_.102"
>
>The third time, the recovery was taking much longer. Fine. I was upset
>and went for a walk.
>
>When I returned and tried to open again, it found the names okay. But this
>time, it balked about "summary". So I went through that about three times.
>It still can't find it and I have to find it for it. Once I do, it goes
>okay. I think. Then it balked about "solicit".
>
>I may have gotten it to finally see that though, because it hasn't asked me
>for it again. Just "summary". I have to go find it for the program every
>time. Each time I've tried to recover though, the statement at the end
>tells me the bytes recovered , and zero on all other values. It seems to
>tell me that nothing was lost.
>
>BUT when I tried to go ahead and enter a new payment for someone...all my
>source codes are gone! Not only that, it's not calculating the next due
>date or grace date!
>
>So I stopped. No more work here until I figure out what is going on.
>
>My last back up was October. Since then, I've finished the new senate and
>half of Congress. And there are probably a few new members and payments I'd
>have to check back through. I hate to lose all that. Yes I know, I
>should have backed up again. But it was Christmas and I'm only a sometimes
>worker but a full time mom....
>
>When I go back to try again on the recovery, deleting the file I just made
>and creating a new one, I again and again make sure I'm typing the name
>correctly. _.102 I don't know why it isn't finding these things.
>
>I have Filemaker and ebase copied in many different folders, many different
>ways, I guess.
>
>Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
>
>Of course, I figured out my original mistake. I see now that you continue
>the script to print.
>
>By the way, I had my hard drive redone last June. After reinstalling
>Filemaker, it hasn't ever booted up the same. Where just opening Filemaker
>used to open ebase, it no longer does. Since June the window opens asking
>me to go find ebase_.102. I don't. I close the window, then go to
>file on the menu and click the last opened document, obviously ebase_.102.
>That works fine and opens it up. I haven't been able to figure out why it
>won't open automatically anymore, because I followed the same directions I
>followed when I first set the thing up... and it worked fine then.
>
>Anyway, let me know if you have any idea what I'm talking about. I can't do
>anything more until I know if and why things are damaged.
>
>Lisa
--
Dave Shaw Northwest Classics, Inc
tel: 206-954-7526 fax: 206-625-1338
