Multi-User Conflict 15 or Multi-User Conflict 41

Q: In an attempt to open TeleMagic I receive an error of Not a Table/DBF or Notepad File is Missing/Invalid. How do I correct this?

Multi-user Conflict 15: Not a table / DBF
Multi-user Conflict 41: MEMO file is missing / invalid

These are both errors that occur most commonly due to losing power, turning the computer off or rebooting the computer while TeleMagic for Windows is running. If you are running TeleMagic on a network, the problem could be due to the server losing power or crashing. Usually the error indicates that damage has occurred to one of the TeleMagic files.

If you receive this error, TeleMagic will usually exit. Before you click anything, make a note of one item. The very first line just inside of the large box that shows up immediately below the error message will say that a table could not be opened. An example would be:

Sorry, the Activity table could not be opened. One of the following could...

In this example, the Activity table is the problem. This will be critical information later on, so make a note of it. The next step taken depends on whether you are running a single user version or a network version:

Single User / Windows 3.1x
Close any applications currently running, then exit Windows. From the DOS prompt type in SCANDISK and press the Enter key. Select Start to begin checking your hard drive. (If you have an older version of DOS, you may not have the SCANDISK program. In this case, type in CHKDSK /F at the prompt instead.)

Single User / Windows 95
Close any applications currently running and restart Windows. From the Start menu, select Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then ScanDisk. Click the Start button to begin checking the hard drive.

If the hard drive check in DOS or Windows 95 reports any errors, you may have lost data from one or more files, and some of those are likely to be TeleMagic files. Have ScanDisk fix any problems it encounters.

Network
If you have TeleMagic installed on a network drive, how you proceed depends on the type of network software installed. If the network is a DOS based peer-to-peer system (such as Lantastic or Novell Lite) or Windows for Workgroups, exit the server software and perform the steps outlined in the Single User / Windows 3.1 section, above. If it is a Windows 95 network, run the ScanDisk program as indicated in the Windows 95 section. Novell Netware has built in utilities used for correcting file system errors on the server. Contact your system administrator for more information on this.

It is usually in your best interest to restore a backup of TeleMagic after repairing any damage to the file system on the hard drive. Depending on which file is damaged, you may also be able to restore only select files from the backup. If there is no backup available, you can either use the TMFix or the Database Utility described below, or replace the affected files by copying them from the CD. To determine which files need to be restored or replaced, take a look at the table name you made a note of earlier (from the error message, the table that could not be opened). Below you will find a list of tables in bold print, and under each are the files that are associated with that table. If the table name matches the one in the error message, the files listed below it are the ones you will need to restore from backup or copy from the CD:

Activity, Activity Comments, Extended Activities ACTIVITY.DBF, ACTIVITY.CDX, ACTCAMP.DBF, ACTCAMP.CDX, ACTCMTS.DBF, ACTCMTS.FPT, ACTCMTS.CDX, ACTEXTDF.DBF, ACTEXTDF.FPT, ACTEXTDF.CDX, ACTEXTDG.DBF, ACTEXTDG.FPT, ACTEXTDG.CDX

User, User-DB Preferences
USERS.DBF, USERS.FPT, USERS.CDX, USERDB.DBF, USERDB.FPT, USERDB.CDX

Security Group, Security Expression, Field-level Security
GROUPS.DBF, GROUPS.CDX, SECEXPR.DBF, SECEXPR.FPT, SECEXPR.CDX, FIELDSEC.DBF, FIELDSEC.CDX

E-Mail
MAIL.DBF, MAIL.FPT, MAIL.CDX

Contact Level 1, Contact Level 2, Contact Level 3
ALL FILES IN THAT SPECIFIC DATABASE DIRECTORY

Unique Numbers
ALL FILES IN ENTIRE TELEMAGIC INSTALLATION

The files mentioned by name in the first three groups will all be found in the TeleMagic global directory, usually \TMWIN. All files listed under any one group must be restored from the backup. DO NOT RESTORE ONLY PART OF THE APPROPRIATE GROUP OF FILES! With version 3.0, there are replacement data files located on the CD in a file called DATA.ZIP, in the \MISC\V3FILES directory. You will need PKUNZIP version 2.04g or some other ZIP file extraction utility to extract the files you need. With version 3.1 this is no longer necessary since the files are not compressed on the CD.

If you will be replacing files rather than restoring from a backup, keep in mind that any information kept in the files you are replacing will be LOST. For example, if you are replacing the group of Activity files, then all activities for the entire TeleMagic installation will be lost; if you are replacing the group of User files, then you will need to recreate all of your User IDs and recreate the preferences for those users; if you are replacing the group of Security files, then all security groups will need to be recreated.

The TMFix Utility or Database Utilities:

If you are using version 3.5 or version 4.x of TeleMagic, then Database Utilities, Database Repair should be used to repair damaged TeleMagic Files.

If CHKDSK or ScanDisk did not indicate any problems, then the TMFix utility may be able to repair the problem file. The TMFix program is available from the TeleMagic web site (www.telemagic.com) as DBFIX.EXE. With TeleMagic version 2.x, the TMFix program was provided on the Templates disk in a file called TMFIX1.EXE. In both cases the file is self-extracting, so you only need copy the file to the TMWIN directory and then double-click it to extract the file. With version 3.x, a copy is provided on the CD in the \MISC\TMFIX directory in an uncompressed format. Simply copy these files to the TMWIN directory. For instructions on using TMFix, see the README file included with the program. The TMFix utility is used on files which end in a DBF extension, according to the table mentioned in the error message. Beginning with version 3.5a, The TMFix utility has been integrated into the new TeleMagic Utilities program, included on the CD. Now called Database Repair, the utility has a new interface and allows you to analyze entire database directories.

The TMFix and Database Repair utilities will check to be sure that the record count in the header of a database file matches the number of records that can be read in the file. If there is a difference in the numbers, TMFix will change the number in the header of the database file to match that which can be read in the file. This can result in a loss of records, which is why we recommend restoring from a backup if you receive a “Multi-user Conflict 15” error rather than using this program.

However, in the case of a “Multi-user Conflict 41” error, usually the TMFix utility works well. The error message indicates that a pointer between the database (DBF) file and the memo (FPT) file is out of alignment. TMFix can repair the pointer, allowing the database to be used again with little or no data loss.

Note: In very rare instances, you may receive the Multi-user Conflict 41 error during a rebuild, but not when TeleMagic opens the file. In these cases, TMFix is not likely to report any problems with the file. Other than restoring a backup, the only way to eliminate the error is to open the file in FoxPro and do a “Copy To” to create a new file.

Prevention and Preparation
There are several ways you can prevent damage to your files, or at least be better prepared in case it does happen:

/X Command Line Parameter
On a single user installation of TeleMagic, include a space and then a /X at the end of the command line used to start TeleMagic. This opens the TeleMagic files in “Exclusive Mode”, preventing any other users from accessing TeleMagic (for this reason it is not usually practical for network installations), and also causing the program to perform an immediate write to disk whenever a change is made to a file. This will help prevent damage to TeleMagic files from an accidental reboot or power failure, except in the unlikely event of a power failure at the exact instant that you are saving a record.

Uninterruptable Power Supply
An uninterruptable power supply (or UPS) is used on the server as a backup power supply. This ensures a steady flow of electricity to the server even if there is a power failure.

Back Up Frequently
Use a reliable backup system. Rotate your backups using different tapes or disks, so that there are always several copies. Keep at least one copy off site.

Use a Dedicated Server
One of the most common causes of damage to TeleMagic files is the use of a non-dedicated server. A non-dedicated server simply means that the machine being used as the file server is also used as a workstation. If that machine crashes (and it will, because of the unusually high demand placed on it), you may end up with damage to TeleMagic files.

 

-- End of FAQ #100

FAQ ID #100

Product Related: TeleMagic 4.x

Last Updated:
March 19, 2000