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Troubleshooting file recovery

Use the following table to help you determine how to recover or check the consistency of a file you suspect is damaged.

 

Problem	Solution
Performing a find returns more records than you expected, or the find returns fewer records than it should. (For example, the found set includes records that once contained the word or value being searched but doesn’t any longer, or the found set doesn’t include a record you just added with the word or value being searched.)	The indexes for the search field (the field containing the value being searched) have become out of sync with the data. If the problem occurs only when searching on one field, use the Manage Database dialog box to turn off the field index, then save the changes, and then turn on the field index again. To do this: 1. With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database. 2. In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Fields tab, and double-click the indexed field. 3. In the Options for Field dialog box, click the Storage tab. 4. Remove the index by selecting Indexing: None. Then click OK. 5. In the Manage Database dialog box, double-click the same field. In the Options for Field dialog box, click the Storage tab. 6. Place the index back on for that field by selecting Indexing: All. Click OK. 7. Click OK to close the Manage Database dialog box. 8. Test the file. If more than one index appears to have a problem, in the Advanced Recovery Options dialog box, select Copy file blocks as-is and only Rebuild indexes / Now. This combination of options creates a new database that is a copy of the old one with all the field indexes rebuilt. For more information, search the FileMaker Knowledge Base available at http://help.filemaker.com.
FileMaker Pro crashes or hangs when opening a file that displays a layout containing a corrupted graphic. The layout can't be avoided because of an On Open script or because the Switch to Layout option (in the File Options dialog box) is selected.	Try opening the file from a different file (which you can do if the file contains a script that switches to a layout other than the opening layout) and then deleting the corrupted layout. To do this: 1. Open another FileMaker file or create a new one. 2. Define a script with the following step: Perform Script [ "Script" from file:: "Badfile"] (Badfile is the name of the unopenable file and Script is a script within the unopenable file that switches to any layout but the opening layout.) 3. Perform the script. 4. In another layout, switch to Layout mode. 5. Scroll the window to the bottom of the screen or to the right edge of the screen beyond the position where objects would be visible on the damaged layout. 6. Switch to the damaged layout. Because the corrupted objects are off-screen, the computer should not hang. 7. Delete this layout. If the problem persists, recover the file using the Advanced Recovery Options dialog box. Select Copy file blocks as-is and only Bypass startup script and layout. This combination of options creates a new database that is a copy of the old one. When FileMaker Pro opens, it switches to a new blank layout, and the On Open script option is disabled. For more information, search the FileMaker Knowledge Base available at http://help.filemaker.com.
Your computer crashed when you were making lots of changes to the layout and script structure of a database. The database is now reported as damaged.	If you were making significant changes to the layouts, scripts, or other database structure but were not changing the data, you may want to retrieve only the most recently modified layouts or scripts from the damaged file and then copy them to a good backup copy of the original file. To do this, in the Advanced Recovery Options dialog box, select either Copy logical structure or Scan blocks and rebuild file. Then select only Scan and rebuild scripts, layouts, etc. (structure). This combination of options creates a new file and rebuilds the structure much faster than if all the fields and records also were scanned and rebuilt. Use the new file only to copy the minimum necessary scripts and layouts, and then paste them into a known good backup copy of the original file.
A database you tried to open is reported as damaged, and you want to try saving a compacted copy of the file.	In the Advanced Recovery Options dialog box, select Copy logical structure, but select none of the checkboxes. This option performs the exact same operation as saving a compacted copy of the database. Because copying the logical structure does not scan the field data or structure, there could still be problems with the resulting file, so test that file carefully for signs of problems. Also consider performing a full recovery; that is, recover the file with Use advanced options deselected in the “Name new recovered file” dialog box, to see if problems are reported.
You suspect there may be problems with your file, although the file is not reported as damaged.	Start by doing a file consistency check, to check the low-level block format of the file. (Click the Check consistency button in the Select Damaged File dialog box.) If no problems are found, then recover the file with Use advanced options in the “Name new recovered file” dialog box deselected. If no problems are found while scanning the schema and structure, you can assume that the original file has no structural problems. However, there is still a risk that the file contains corrupted data or graphics. If database users report that going to a particular layout or record causes their computer to hang or FileMaker Pro to crash, then data or graphics could be corrupted. In that case, locate and delete the problem layout or record. To do this: 1. In another layout, switch to Layout mode. 2. Scroll the window to the bottom of the screen or to the right edge of the screen beyond the position where objects would be visible on the damaged layout. 3. Switch to the damaged layout. Because the corrupted objects are off-screen, the computer should not hang. 4. Delete this layout. For more information, search the FileMaker Knowledge Base available at http://help.filemaker.com.
You want to recover a large file in the shortest possible amount of time while ensuring that everything important about recovering the file is performed.	In the Advanced Recovery Options dialog box, select Scan blocks and rebuild file and then select Scan record data and rebuild fields and tables (schema), Scan and rebuild scripts, layouts, etc. (structure), and Rebuild field indexes / Later. This combination of options scans and rebuilds the file schema and structure but deletes instead of rebuilds existing field indexes. File recovery will take less time, and the field indexes will be rebuilt later, as they are needed, during database use. Note  Deselecting Delete cached settings is unlikely to have much impact in shortening file recovery time.