# MS Access "Run time error 3343"



## plesbit (Apr 11, 2005)

Hi,

We have started getting the following error on a business critical database:

Run-time error 3343
Unrecognised database format <database path><filename>.mdb

It is starting to occur about once a day at random intervals and is easily fixed by closing the database on the the computers that use it, opening it on a machine with admin privileges (i.e. mine) and repairing it. I haven't made a note of the message I get when opening it but it basically says the database is corrupt, possibly because someone ended a session unexpectedly and offers me the option to repair it - which I do and the problem is fixed until the next time.

Clearly we would like to stop this problem from happening in the first place. It is my belief that it is network related and that something is causing the connection to the server to fail, or partly fail, whilst users are connected to the database, hence the reference to the unexpected termination.

I notice that some of our servers seem to disconnect the network drives if the connection is not used for a period of time. However it differs wildly between the servers (all of which are running the same O/S and SP). If one of the workstations connected to the database had the connection drop due to an idle period, would this cause the error? My initial instinct is to say no because the connections tend to re-initialise when needed - but, judging by the run time error, my experience suggests they are clicking on a button which runs a script and the script is unable to find the path to at least one aspect of which it is attempting to do. I know from experience of Excel macros that disconnected network drives cause run time errors, even if all you have to do to re-initialise is click on the drive in Windows Explorer.

Is this a feasible cause of the problem? And does anyone know why the servers all have significantly different time periods before the drives disconnect and is there somewhere you can set it?

Any help appreciated!


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## plesbit (Apr 11, 2005)

For anyone that's interested I have reset the network autodisconnect feature on the server by using the following command:

net config server /autodisconnect:2000

This will set the autodisconnect feature to an idle time out of 2000 mins (over 33hrs) and we'll see if that makes any difference to the problem.


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## WrinkledCheese (Dec 9, 2006)

My post was irrelevant, I misread your question...


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## plesbit (Apr 11, 2005)

WrinkledCheese said:


> My post was irrelevant, I misread your question...


No worries - thanks for trying anyway.

As it stands the problems with the database have not re-appeared since I changed the autodisconnect timeout which gives it a current uptime of 96 hours - the most for a long time. Fingers crossed that's done the trick.


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