Recovering runtime files (FileMaker Pro Advanced)
Power failures, hardware problems, or other factors can damage a FileMaker database file. If your database solution becomes damaged, your users will need to recover the damaged file. When the runtime application discovers a damaged file, a dialog box appears, telling the user to contact the developer. Even if the dialog box does not appear, files can become corrupted and exhibit erratic behavior.
Once you know which file is damaged, you can recover it using the Recover command, if you have FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Pro Advanced installed. If your user only has the runtime application, however, the Recover command does not appear in the File menu of the runtime application.
To recover a damaged file:
•On Windows machines, press Ctrl+Shift while double-clicking the runtime application icon. Hold the keys down until you see the Open Damaged File dialog box.
•On macOS machines, press Command-Option while double-clicking the runtime application icon. Hold the keys down until you see the Open Damaged File dialog box.
What to expect during the recovery process
During the recovery process, the runtime application:
•creates a new file
•renames any damaged file by adding Old to the end of the filenames (for example, Contact Manager is renamed to Contact Manager Old)
•gives the repaired file the original name
If users experience unusual behavior in the recovered files, they should revert to a
backup copy that was made before the file became corrupt, or contact you for technical assistance.
Documenting recovery for your customers
In your documentation, you should tell your users what to do after a file has been recovered. Tell your users to:
1. Recover the damaged solution file using the method described above for the type of computer they are using.
2. Open the recovered solution file in the runtime application.
3. Choose File menu > Save a Copy As.
4. In the dialog box, choose compacted copy (smaller) from the Save a (Windows) or Type (macOS) list, name the file, and click Save.
Give the compacted file the same filename as the original file.
5. Make a copy of the original database and import the data from the recovered file into it.
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