| Dbase has been hailed as one of the best | | | | 2. Intelligence to recognize where various data |
| advancements in the realm of developmental | | | | fragments fit and restructure it in a readable manner. |
| platforms. A large number of applications are designed | | | | 3. High Compatibility with various platforms, such as |
| using Dbase and its various versions, and as such rely | | | | multiple version of windows. |
| on DBF files, the file-type designed to be used with | | | | 4. Standard re-formatting of the DBF file. This allows |
| Dbase and related application development programs | | | | multiple programs and DBF readers to understand the |
| such as FoxPro. While a great tool that exponentially | | | | newly restored DBF file and actively use it. |
| speeds up the process of application development, | | | | A corrupted file usually has very little 'lost' data, and a |
| Dbase is not without its problems. One of the biggest | | | | large amount of data that is simply unreadable due to |
| challanges faced by any developer using Dbase is the | | | | absence of a small portion. Imagine a ladder with |
| unexplained corruption of .DBF files. This often | | | | multiple steps, each of which is needed to progress to |
| jeopardizes an entire project, and countless hours of | | | | the top. Losing just one of the many slats will prevent |
| hard work, especially when no backups exist for the | | | | the progress to the top, and thus make the entire |
| file. As such, DBF file repair and recovery is a | | | | ladder unusable. This is why the whole DBF file and all |
| necessary addition that any developer needs to make | | | | the data within becomes unusable when even a small |
| to his/her repertoire of Dbase related skills. | | | | portion of data of lost or fragmented into a different |
| How DBF Files Get Damaged: | | | | section of the data structure. And this is also the |
| DBF files are some of the easiest ones to corrupt due | | | | reason why many DBF repair software programs fail. |
| to two reasons: | | | | Even if the software is able to recognize the data and |
| 1. Fragile data structure - the data structure of a DBF | | | | locate all the various fragments of it, if it can't place it in |
| file is arranged such that later moving the sectors on | | | | the exact position in the structure wher eit belongs, it |
| the disk, or moving the fragments of the file around | | | | will fail to fix the DBF file easily. |
| can cause the data to become corrupt very easily. | | | | Preventative Measures: |
| 2. Interdependent nature of the data - damage to any | | | | Once you have recovered your DBF file using a good |
| single part of the DBF file makes the entire file | | | | DBF repair tool, you should make sure that similar |
| unreadable. This makes it even riskier, since even the | | | | situations don't arise again: |
| slightest damage to the file structure will result in entire | | | | 1. Make sure that you keep a backup copy of the file |
| data being irrecoverable. | | | | in two places - on your hard-disk, and one on a |
| In most cases, the damage occurs as the file is being | | | | removable device such as flash drive. |
| saved. Errors or sudden changes in the configuration | | | | 2. Keep a copy of the file online - for example, you |
| of the program saving the file can result in slight | | | | can email it to yourself from one account to another. |
| damages to the data being saved through various | | | | Make sure that you email from one host to another, |
| mechanisms such as double-writing. This makes the file | | | | such as from a Yahoo account to a Gmail account. |
| unreadable for regular DBF file readers and opening | | | | 3. Ensure that you always save the file properly. Open |
| the file results either in 'Cannot Open File' errors, or the | | | | the file right after saving to confirm that it was indeed |
| data is displayed only as gibberish. | | | | saved correctly. Do not shut the program down in the |
| How DBF Repair Programs Work (At least the good | | | | middle of the save process (such as by using the |
| ones) | | | | Task Manager), and do not hard-boot the computer |
| A good DBF recovery program has four qualities: | | | | while the file is still open. |
| 1. Ability to analyze the DBF file in small fragments. | | | | |