General Questions

All Users



I am trying to print the manual, but nothing seems to happen?

  • The Hearing Office software make extensive use of .pdf documents. The .pdf extension stands for portable document format. Documents created with this extension can be printed on numerous operating systems without creating multiple versions for each system. A real time saver if you are a developer. Printing of the Hearing Office software manual was optimize by embedding all the postscript fonts you need for printing. Some users have reported that their pdf documents are not printing or taking a long time to print. Keep the following information in mind when trying to print pdf documents:
  • Acrobat 2.0 does not do a good job printing to non-postscript printers you should upgrade to at least Acrobat Reader 2.1, preferably Acrobat Reader 3.0. Click here to go to Adobe's site and download the most recent copy of the Acrobat Reader
  • When printing to non-postscript printers, Acrobat Reader must rasterize all the fonts to be printed on a page, this can take quite a bit of time, especially, if there are many different fonts and/or graphic items on a page. If the pdf file uses fonts that are not on your system it can take even longer. For some users, as much as 10 minutes to begin printing after sending the job to the printer.
  • Try to reduce the resolution of the print image, that should help considerably and if possible try to use a draft printing mode.You should turn off background printing if possible and be sure you have the latest printer driver for your printer.

I recently entered several records, but now I can't find them?

  • Be careful when you enter data into Hearing Office software that you are in the "Browse" mode of the program.
  • Some users have reported that records they have recently entered are now "missing." After checking to make sure all records are selected and that other common oversights are not an issue, you will need to consider the possibility that the user was in the Find mode when they were entering records.
  • The screens are quite similar, and when you hit Command-N (mac) or Control-N, instead of creating a new record, Hearing Office software creates a new Find request. Because you can have an unlimited number of Find Requests, no error messages or warnings will appear.
  • Unfortunately, there is no way to "recover" this information, since it was never entered into the database to begin with. There are several visual cues telling you whether you are in the Find or Browse modes for example, Browse mode does not have a "Find" button, and the page flipper lists "Requests" not "Records." as appropriate.
  • The "Refind" command may let you view your Find requests if you want to verify this problem, or possibly copy down the information that has been entered, but the only long-term solution is to check your work periodically along the way to make sure that the data entered is going into your file properly.


Do I really need to back up my data daily?

  • Yes, yes, yes, and yes!
  • A good rule of thumb regarding backup is to decide how much time you want to spend re-entering data in the event your data is lost or damaged. For example, if you backup only once a week and have a busy office, it may take you 5-8 hours to re-enter a week's worth of lost data. If you don't mind doing this, then just backup weekly. I personally would never pay someone in my office to re-enter more than 1 hours's worth of data. Typically an hour is the most it would take to re-enter a day's worth of information.
  • Backup your data daily, even if it is only to a remote portion of your hard.. In the event of a crash, the Hearing Office software will attempt to repair itself. But as the program size begins to approach the 1 mb size, the likelihood that the recovery will be complete decreases. My advise is to NEVER use a crashed Hearing Office software program. Delete the damaged folder, install the backup, and re-enter data since the crash. The Hearing Office software programs use complex relationships to automatically update information across multiple files. Damage in a single file may affect multiple files. By the way, the most common cause of database corruption is an unexpected shut down, typically from a power surge. You should spend a $100.00 and buy an uninterruptible power source (UPS) for your computer. A UPS will automatically switch your computer to battery power if there is an interruption in AC power. They are relatively small, some are the size of a small loaf of bread. While a UPS will not run your computer for hours, it will allow you 10-20 minutes of operation, easily enough time to safely shut down your computer. A couple of the brands include, APC and Tripp software.
  • Inexperienced computer users typically email me at some point that something has happened on their computer and now their files don't work properly. I use the Hearing Office software programs in my office very day, and unlike another piece of "Hearing Industry Software", which we are forced into using to program hearing aids, I know that the Hearing Office software works well and is stable. The engine that I used to create the software, FileMaker Pro, has a user base in the tens of thousands! In my office, I have a server and 6 workstations that use this software every day. In the last 5 years, I have not spent one hour on data re-entry! When I got started 10 years ago did I ever spend time re-entering data? Yes, but I've learned my lesson! Unless you listen to what I am talking about here or are VERY lucky, you will learn this lesson too!
  • Well, if you haven't been backing up and now your software doesn't work properly, you are in for a lot of grief and expense. Just because I give away or almost give away the software doesn't mean that I am going to fix your mess, and I definitely won't fix it for free!. If you didn't back up your data GOOD LUCK! If you want me to recover your data, I charge a flat fee of $100.00 per hour, and that is only if I have the time to do it! If I don't have the time or you don't want to pay me to help you, you will have to re-enter your data into the last backup or from scratch--whichever files are newer.
    • Some users will say that they got the program for free or a small cost and that these fees are excessive. Again, just because I gave away or almost gave away the software doesn't mean it isn't worth $1000.00's. I have chosen to give something back to our field, and my software is the gift! The $100.00 per hour is what you will pay me whether I can recover the data or not! The charge will cover the first hour of my labor. If the recover takes more time, I will let you know. Each additional hour costs $100.00. There is no pro-rating of the time. If it takes me 70 minutes, you pay me $200.00. You will need to contact me before sending me your files. I will want you to send me the files electronically in zipped format. If you can't do this, just start over entering your data from scratch--sorry! I really don't want to do recovery work and it is not a profit center for me. If you follow good backup practices, you will never need to talk to me about this subject.


How do I back up my data?

  • Before you begin your backup, be sure that all copies of the Hearing Office software are closed. Most backup sessions will either fail or be corrupted if the files are in use when the backup occurs. This applies to users of single license copies of the Hearing Office software. If you are using a network with the server application, you can pause the service without shutting down all the workstations. Consult the server manual for more information on how to pause a service.
  • The default location for the Hearing Office software will be different depending on the software program.
    • The are the typical paths include:
      • C:\Program Files\Hearing Office Software
      • C:\Program Files\Hearing Office Lite
      • C:\Program Files\Hearing Office Pro 1.x
      • C:\Hearing Office Lite
    • I am moving towards a standard install that will place all version of the Hearing Office software in a single folder in the Program Files folder. The path of this folder:
      • C:\Program Files\Hearing Office Software
    • Any new versions of the Pro and Lite software will install into the above folder. The Industrial Records program installs there by default.
    • If you opted to install your files in a different folder, then you already know where to backup.
    • If you are not sure where the files are, try to locate them using the Explorer program.
      • Right click on your Start Menu and select Explore
      • Locate the shortcut to the software program icon for the Hearing Office software program you need.
      • Right click on the icon and select Properties.
      • Select the locate target option. You know know the path where your files are located.
  • When you backup your data, you should copy all the files in the software folder, typically Hearing Office xxxx. Regardless of which type of device you choose to make backups of your data, you should create backup sets. You want to use sets so that if one tape or disk becomes damaged you have another to rely on. Also at least one copy should be stored away from your office. Any copies that are stored at the office should be kept in a media fire proof box. What good is it to make backups and leave them next to the computer if you have a fire that burns your office? There are several devices to be used for backing up your data.
    • The most common method of backing up your data is to use a tape drive to copy your files daily. Tape backups can be set to run unattended when you are not needing the computer, such as after work hours. Tape backups may be slow to copy files and to restore data. They are relatively inexpensive to buy and usually come with software to help schedule and compress files.
      • You can also use removable drives, such as a CD-R, Zip or Jaz drive to make copies.
    • You should purchase backup software if you computer operating system did not include a backup program. Retrospect Backup from Dantz Development, http://www.dantz.com/ is a great program that is inexpensive to buy and works with most removable drives.
  • Another way to backup data is to copy the data to another portion of your hard drive. You should use a compression tool, such as winzip, http://www.winzip.com, to compress your files on the hard drive. After compressing, you can can copy the files to a remote folder, another directory, or another partition on the local or remote drive, or to a removable drive. The biggest drawback to keeping the backup on the same drive as the Hearing Office software is that if your data is damaged because the hard drive is failing, very likely your backup will also be damaged or lost. It's a good idea to copy the compressed file to a removable drive as outlined above. The advantage to compressing the files include:
    • It saves space. The compressed files may be half or less of the original folder size.
    • In compressed format, you avoid having multiple folders on your hard drive with the same files. You ask why this matters? Well, lets say you have two Hearing Office Pro folders on the drive. When the Hearing Office application starts, how do you know which files it will use? You don't! Not having multiple copies of the files available on the drive avoids you having to ask me where the data you just entered has run off to!
    • Retrieval of the data will be very fast. If you have a crash, you just copy the backed up files over the damaged files.
    • Winzip also includes a command line interface which allows you to create batch files which can then be scheduled automatically using the Task Scheduler built into Windows

Maintenance

  • I know that you already read my bias on backups in the previous sections, but I still think that it is important enough to cover again. Your database contains important information for your personal, professional, and business life. A daily backup schedule is the best maintentance to prevent the loss of your data. A bit of time spent doing proper backup of files cannot compare to the time and money spent repairing a damaged database or hard drive, especially when that damage was preventable.
  • Set up a regular schedule for backing up your files. Be consistent with that schedule. If your files are on line, let everyone know they will be down for maintenance on a regularly scheduled basis, then take the files off line and backup.
  • Backup your data at least nightly.



Corrupt Files: Recovery and How to Avoid It

  • Why does the recover command sometimes need to be used? A little background regarding how the Hearing Office software maintains files during usage sheds some light on how databases can become damaged. The Hearing Office software is a disk-based application, in that Hearing Office software does not need to load the entire database into RAM as the file is opened. The application contains code that manages the transfer of data from the hard drive to RAM and back. The memory allocated to Hearing Office software under the OS is divided into two portions: application code, and data from the file itself. As the file is used, Hearing Office software will routinely write updated sections of the file from data buffers in RAM to the hard drive. By far, the most common cause of file damage is an unexpected application termination. In most cases, an unexpected quit will occur at a time when the file has been idle since the last hard drive update. In this situation, the next time the database is opened, Hearing Office software will run a consistency check on the file. Typically, the file will open without problems. However, if the unexpected quit occurred during a hard drive update, the file is likely to be in an inconsistent state, and require repair measures the Recover command provides.
  • File corruption is not inevitable, but its a good idea to take measures to prevent damage to a database and also ensure that databases are properly backed-up in case of disaster. Routine back-ups are imperative with any database. Magnetic media has a sometimes transitory nature; entropy surrounds us and our data.
  • A good back-up program should provide multiple copies of a database as sources for restoration. A scheme involving rotating back-ups can accomplish this. This method involves separate back-up copies over no less than a two week rotation. The file is backed-up to a set on day one, a new set on day two, until ten sets of back-ups exist assuming a five day work week. On the eleventh day, the first set is reused. This type of rotation ensures that a lurking problem will not spoil your chances of an undamaged file restoration. If new data entry has been minimal since the last back-up, with large files it may be more efficient to simply use the back-up rather than going through a time-consuming recovery. Many programs are available that ease the drudgery of routine back-ups. Using a back-up program that allows file or folder specific back-ups will provide the most efficient protection of important database files. Periodically saving a clone will provide a master copy of the database structure which can be useful for restoring scripts or layouts that may be deleted in the recovered file. In many cases, it is a good idea to save a clone of the file and a back-up at an off-site location, should the disaster not be limited to the file itself.
  • Since unexpected application termination is the most common cause of database corruption, avoiding unexpected quits on the computer from which the file is running is the best way to avoid damaging a database. In general, commercial extensions should not be a problem as long as an almost religious commitment to running current versions of this software is maintained. Of course, any public domain or share ware extensions should be avoided. Even the use of commercial extensions should be conservative on the machine responsible for running the database. System stability and the number of active extensions are inversely proportional. If the file is being used in an area subject to power outages, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is strongly advised. The cost of a UPS might equal the time involved in one file recovery. In cases of multiple corrupted files on a hard drive, the hard drive itself may be the culprit. Check the health of the hard drive with a drive utility program. Software that optimizes, compresses, or partitions the hard drive should be current version. Driver software must be compatible with the System version.
  • In most cases, no maintenance beyond frequent back-ups is necessary. However, most databases are good candidates for a routine compression. Saving a compressed copy rewrites the entire database, fitting as much data into each block as is possible. This procedure not only reclaims unused space in the file, it also rebuilds the files structure. Compression can be time-consuming and might be best accomplished as an overnight task. In general, recovering a file should be reserved for files that will not open, or are displaying obvious index problems. Field indexes are used by Hearing Office software for finding and sorting. Databases that are returning records incorrectly from a find or are sorting in unusual orders should be fixed by recovery. Keep in mind that there are many other conditions that will result in incorrect finding or sorting, including mismatched field types. Be certain you have eliminated all other possibilities before recovering a file. Files that are undergoing structural changes should be treated somewhat conservatively. It's a good idea that any major changes to a file, including field deletions or modifications, be done in a clone of the database which can be refilled with data via an import after the design work is done. The importance of using a clone for design modifications increases as the database size grows.
  • Timely back-ups are the only guarantee of database integrity and data safety. Using the Hearing Office software recover command is like tossing a life-saver to a person who can't swim; it will probably save the person, but it would have been more prudent to keep them from getting wet in the first place.



Recovering Hearing Office software databases

  • The information in your Hearing Office software databases is quite valuable and represents investments of lots of time and energy that is often irreplaceable. So it is particularly disturbing that there is a chance that a Hearing Office software database can become damaged or even unusable. Therefore, safeguarding databases is an important aspect of using Hearing Office software wisely.
  • Hearing Office software provides two built-in mechanisms for restoring damaged databases: Auto Repair and Recover. As the name implies, Auto Repair is run automatically, if necessary, when the database is opened. On the other hand, Recover is a utility that must be manually invoked by the user should the database require more extensive repairs.
  • These facilities are designed to restore a damaged database such that it is again usable. The underlying philosophy of Auto Repair and Recover is to preserve as much of the data as possible, while eliminating out non-essential information that can easily be recreated. In this context, data generically refers to records, layouts, scripts, and field definitions. Non-essential information refers to things like the current found set, and sort order definitions. Rather than risk having the data being inaccessible because of damage to a non-essential item, Hearing Office software deletes non-essentials in order to increase the probability that the database can be opened.
  • A second very important aspect of these facilities and particularly of Recover is that they do not guarantee that the file has been completely repaired. Exhaustively examining and repairing every aspect of a large database would be extremely time consuming, so both Auto Repair and Recover are designed to tradeoff completeness for expediency. This tradeoff is carefully made, with an emphasis on thoroughly checking the aspects of the database structure that are most likely to affect whether the database can be successfully opened. Therefore, users should take adequate precautions after managing to get a damaged database open. "Adequate precautions" normally include immediately saving a backup copy of the recovered database, and depending on the severity of the problem, possibly importing the data into a clone of the original database
  • An important safety measure is making regular and frequent backups. Many users operate their valuable, often irreplaceable databases without a safety net. Make those backups. Always assume that the worst can occur at any time, and never allow a significant period of active database time go by without making a full backup. One good rule of thumb with a heavily-used database is that it should be backed up frequently enough so you can add or update lost information without losing more than a day of work.
    • File problems
      • The most frequent cause of difficulty occurs when a Hearing Office software file is not closed" properly." (Other causes of problems with Hearing Office software databases are related to media failure, where the file cannot be read by the file system). A file is not closed properly when a file is open and then:
      • Hearing Office software freezes, forcing a manual restart of the computer;
      • Hearing Office software runs into a problem and presents a dialog that requires the user to quit the application (e.g., disk-read error or file-damaged error);
      • Another application crashes, causing Hearing Office software to crash;
      • A manual restart is made for some other reason like a system hangup;
      • External power is interrupted, shutting down the computer abruptly.
      • Note that, in all of these cases, not only is the active file damaged by being improperly closed, but so are all unlocked local files that may have been open at the same time. Files opened across the network from a still-powered remote machine are not damaged provided that the remote Hearing Office software application is still open.
  • Hearing Office software memory management
    Many applications, including some databases, are "RAM-based." RAM-based applications require that the entire document or database fit into memory at once. If an application with a RAM-based architecture crashes, the most-recently-saved version is safe on disk. As a result, the document can be opened again intact, less the most recent changes before the crash that had not been saved.
  • In contrast, Hearing Office software is a "disk-based" database. The document or database created by a disk-based application is not restricted in size by the available RAM memory. Instead, small portions of the much larger document or database are brought into memory as needed.
  • In the case of Hearing Office software, the information is brought into memory one disk block at a time. As memory becomes full (or when Hearing Office software is idle for several seconds), blocks in memory that have been changed are written back to the disk. A single simple operation, such as Replace, may alter many physical disk blocks that are widely dispersed on the disk. In order for an operation to be successfully completed and for the stored database to be in a consistent state, all of the blocks related to any change must be written back to disk. Obviously, if even one of the blocks related to an operation is not written out to disk, the database on the disk is not left in a consistent state. This inconsistency may result in problems opening the database, or other difficulties while performing operations later.
  • When Hearing Office software unexpectedly terminates, the extent of the damage to the database depends on the state of the database at the time of the crash. For example, if the file was a lookup file that was not changed while Hearing Office software was operating, the file should be in a consistent state and Auto Repair should allow the file to be opened without further difficulty. Other examples of files that should be in a consistent state are files that have been idle long enough for all of the modified blocks to have been written to disk, or any file that is open but is not the currently active database. On the other hand, if the database was being actively updated at the time of the shutdown, as could be the case in a mass deletion or update, the database may require the more serious repair measures provided by Recover.
  • Typical error messages
    Depending on the state of the database when Hearing Office software unexpectedly terminates, the warning that appears when the database is reopened may be one of a variety of messages.
  • In the case that Hearing Office software was able to open the database successfully but has detected that it was not closed properly the last time it was used, Auto Repair is automatically called to validate the database. Consistent with Hearing Office software's philosophy of eliminating what can easily be recreated (to avoid possible problems), any found-set and sort-order is discarded as the database is repaired. In addition, Hearing Office software checks for records that may have been partially updated and triggers calculations in those records. In versions prior to Hearing Office software 2.0, it also recounts the records to verify the consistency of the internal record list.
  • Keep in mind that any operations in progress prior to the failure (such as Replace or Delete) will not be completed by Auto Repair. As a general rule, after a repaired or recovered database has been successfully opened, the file should be checked for consistent content. This is especially true if there was an active operation under way at the time of the shutdown.
  • A similar message may be seen in other cases where the database was shut down improperly. In this case, Hearing Office software was able to open the database successfully but has again detected that it was not closed properly the last time it was used. Furthermore, Hearing Office software has detected that free blocks associated with the database were not released the last time it was closed. This condition may cause the database to be larger than is necessary, because these particular empty blocks cannot be reused. The error alert suggests running Recover if there are problems, and suggests a method for compressing the database if everything works properly. Generally, saving a compressed copy after the database has been opened is sufficient to compress empty space out of the database.
  • Sometimes the problems with a database are more severe, and Auto Repair does not work. In these cases, a more extensive process must be performed in order to resuscitate damaged files. Recover is provided as a separate feature that performs this operation. Recover creates a new empty database, and copies the information over block by block before validating various aspects of the database structure.
  • There are other more serious problems that prevent the file from being opened. Generally these errors are encountered when attempting to open the database. Usually they are the result of problems in the structure of the database. Structural problems include references to invalid block numbers or invalid information in the signature blocks of the database that identify a file as a Hearing Office software database. Depending on the severity of the problem, Hearing Office software may be unable to Recover the database, and reverting to a backup of the database will be necessary.

    Recover step by step--I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THESE STEPS. You should just bite the bullet and re-enter your data into the last known good backup. If you have NEVER backed up, remove the application using the add/remove applet. This will delete all files and information associated with the damaged Hearing Office software. After removing, re-install the software/application from scratch. After you have re-installed the software, enter your activation key, serial number, and file preferences. You are now ready to being re-entering data. Before you leave that day, backup your data! Congratulations, you've just learned, the hard way, one of the most difficult lessons about computer usage--to go forward, you must backup!
  • So, if you weren't discouraged from recovering after reading the above statement, read on. To recover a database, launch Hearing Office software and hold down the Shift + Ctrl keys (WinOS) or the Command + Option keys (MacOS) while the file is opening. Keep the keys down until you see the Recover File dialogue box.. After selecting the file to be recovered, specify a name for the new database that will be created by Recover (it must be a different name than the file being recovered). A status dialog appears and reports the progress of the Recover operation.
  • The first step in Recover is to open the damaged database and create a new empty database to hold data blocks that are about to be copied from the damaged file.
  • Next, Hearing Office software resets the logical End of File (EOF) in the damaged database to be equal to the physical EOF and starts copying each block of the damaged database over to the new target file. As each block is copied, it is examined to validate its internal structure. If any problem is found, the block is repaired.
  • The name of this step is a bit of a misnomer. Rather than rebuilding the status information, Hearing Office software actually reverts the database to a default state similar to a brand new database. Once again, this is consistent with the philosophy of removing what can easily be recreated in order to concentrate on capturing as much of the old content as possible. The items that are removed or reverted include:
  • Record Count, Summaries, Sub-summary sort order,Sorted Order, Custom Sort Order, List of Found Records, Import Order, Export Order, Calculation trigger table, Find Patterns, Sort Specification.
  • Next, Hearing Office software validates each record in the database. This process involves fetching each of the records and checking to make sure that it has valid header information. Also, each field within the record is checked for a valid key and valid (non-zero) length. If any invalid fields or records are discovered in this process, they are removed from the database.
  • As each field is validated, it is checked against a master list of existing fields. If a field is encountered that does not already exist in the master list, the key is added to the list so that a temporary field can be created automatically later. Again, this is consistent with Hearing Office software philosophy of preserving as much of the information as possible. It is easy to delete unwanted fields after the database is recovered; much easier than attempting to recreate lost information.
  • Furthermore, in Hearing Office software any data in repetitions of repeating fields that are beyond the maximum value specified in field definitions are deleted. Deleting these unseen repetitions will cause any summaries or calculations that include the repeating fields to be calculated correctly because they no longer involve the "hidden" data. When Hearing Office software finishes checking the records, it writes the maximum record count and the maximum record key back into the database.
  • In this phase of recovery, Hearing Office software validates each layout in the database. First, the current defaults (i.e., current font, size, style, etc.) are replaced with defaults that match those of a newly created database. Each layout is then examined for consistency. Every layout must have a name (or it is given a default name), parts (at least one) with valid options and valid size, and a valid object list. The object list is a structure that contains a reference to each object (i.e., field, rectangle, line, text, etc.) on the layout. Each object referenced in the object list is fetched to make sure it is present and that it is a valid object type. Any objects that cannot be examined or are not of valid type are deleted from the layout. If any invalid parts are encountered, they are also deleted. If no parts are left after this process, a default part is added to the layout to make it accessible.
  • Next, the Hearing Office software validates all field definitions and scripts. First, lists used by Hearing Office software to quickly access the field names and information about the custom field order are deleted. While validating field definitions, any fields without matching definitions (discovered while checking the records) will have new field definitions automatically created. Each automatically generated field is named "Recovered Field n", where "n" is a number starting at 1 and incrementing with each field (n" is automatically generated during recovery). Hearing Office software also fetches each field definition from the database and verifies that it has a valid field name and valid field type. If the field type is missing or invalid Hearing Office software makes the field a text field (the most flexible field type), so any data can be retrieved from the field. In the case of calculations and summaries, the formula is fetched and validated. If any of the formulas are invalid or cannot be found a default (empty) formula is created for the field. Finally Hearing Office software writes the count of the number of fields into the file.
  • When it has finished processing field definitions, Hearing Office software validates the scripts in the database. As was done for layouts and field definitions, Hearing Office software starts by deleting the custom order information for scripts. Every script is then checked to make sure it has a valid name, valid status information and valid options. If a problem is detected with any of these important components of a script, the script is deleted.
  • After checking each record and rebuilding the field definitions, Hearing Office software is finally ready to reconstruct the inverted list or index. The index is used to assist Hearing Office software in locating data quickly. After completely deleting the existing index, Hearing Office software fetches each record; and, based on the data in the record, reconstructs the index. This step is necessary to maintain consistency in the database. If the index were not rebuilt, it would be possible for Hearing Office software Find requests to return records that did not match the specified request.
  • Finally, Hearing Office software frees unused space in the file. All of the disk blocks that may be unused after recovery are coalesced to the end of the file and removed.
  • After the file is recovered, quit the Hearing Office software program and rename the file the same as the original file. Make a copy of your damaged file and remove it from the Hearing Office software folder. Copy the recovered folder to the Hearing Office software folder and relaunch the program. Inspect your records. If the database looks fine, delete the damaged file.
    • Recovery Results
      When recovery is completed, a status dialog is displayed showing what was done to the database during recovery. The dialog shows:
      • the number of bytes copied from the damaged database into the new database;
      • the number of records that had to be skipped (deleted) from the recovered database;
      • the number of field values that had to be skipped (deleted) from the database
      • the number of field definitions that had to be recreated
      • If any of the values shown, other than the number of bytes copied, is greater than zero, you should carefully check the file for consistent content.
      • In many cases, a successfully recovered database may be larger than the original database. This is normal and is caused by new disk blocks being allocated as the database is recovered. For example, rebuilding the index field by field and record by record can cause data distribution that is different (and possibly larger) than the original file.
      • A newly recovered database will also take longer to open than a database that was closed properly the last time it was used. This only happens the first time a recovered database is opened and is the result of rebuilding various internal structures that were deleted during recovery.
  • Stabilizing your database system
    There are a number of things you can do that will have a direct impact on the stability of your system and on the reliability of your databases. The following general guidelines will help protect your investment in your data.
    • Make frequent backups. This cannot be stressed enough. Many users do not have adequate protection against data loss. In many cases, they do not have their databases backed up at all. A backup not only prevents loss of data if a database cannot be successfully recovered, it can actually be an excellent alternative to Recover. Instead of recovering a damaged file, it often pays to restore a backup copy of the database, even if it needs some work to bring it up to date. For a large database the time required to perform a full recover will generally be much longer than the time required to restore and update the backup.
    • Save compressed copies of the database periodically. Saving a compressed copy rewrites the entire database, fitting as much data into each block as is possible. This procedure will not only reclaim dead space in the file; but will also, as a consequence, rebuild the files structure. Backing up compressed copies is one approach and saves backup space as well.
    • Save a clone of the file periodically. Having a clone of the most recent database structure on hand can be useful if you have to recover your database. For one thing, it preserves various customized aspects of the file such as custom script, field and layout arrangements. Further, if any of the scripts or layouts in a database are damaged and are deleted by Recover, the clone can be used to reconstruct the lost scripts or layouts. A clone is also extremely useful if you need to import data from a recovered database.
    • Remove as many suspicious system extensions as you can get along without, at least until you are convinced they are not having deleterious effects. There are various third party products available that allow you to turn selected extensions on and off so you don't have to physically remove them from your system.
    • Make sure there are no viruses in your system and data files. Although Hearing Office software does internal checks on the application for viruses at launch time, data files can still be infected. Therefore, use a current copy of a virus detection program to check your system. Using the most recent copy of virus detection software is important because these programs are periodically updated to detect new virus strains.
    • If you experience frequent power outages in your location, think about getting an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). A UPS will quickly pay for itself in terms of work hours saved by not having to repair files that were improperly closed as the result of a power failure.
    • Obtain the most recent version of Hearing Office software. Often there are corrections available for problems that have been discovered since your version was shipped. These fixes may prevent problems that might otherwise require you to recover your database.
    • A less rigorous approach is to use a clone of the original database as the basis of the new database.
    • Another timesaving technique is to directly import the data from the original recovered file into the clone rather than going through a text-file intermediary. Once again, this approach may also introduce problems in the "sanitized" database. In particular, style runs (the structure that describes the style changes applied to data in Browse mode) will be copied into the new database along with the data. Style runs can sometimes cause problems with particular records, causing the application to freeze when displaying that record.

 

Damaged File - What to do; How to Quit without Damaging Open Files

    • Attempting to open a file, you get the message that says "This file is damaged: Resume or Quit (-39)". If you select Resume, the same error message may reappear. If you select Quit, Hearing Office software quits without properly closing all open files, thus damaging them. Here's a tip you can use to avoid having to abruptly "Quit" Hearing Office software If you select Resume and the same resume/quit option reappears, select resume again. If necessary, click the Resume button 30 to 100 times attempting to open the file. Many times, this will work. When you click resume, you are telling Hearing Office software to ignore the error found in the file. If the dialog box reappears, Hearing Office software has encountered another error in the file. In some cases, after clicking Resume enough times, Hearing Office software will read enough of the file to open.
    • How to quit without damaging open files:
      • Hold down command-Q (Macintosh) or ALT-F4 (Windows) while clicking the Resume button (do not click Quit). Often, Hearing Office software will see the command-Q or ALT-F4 while reattempting to open the file. It will then quit normally.
    • How to quit a hung application
      • If you're running Hearing Office software and another application and the computer hangs while the other application is active, you will damage any open Hearing Office software files if you restart the computer. Instead, try the following: Macintosh System 7: simply press Command-Option-Escape to force the current application to quit Windows: press CTRL-ALT-DEL


What to do with a troublesome file that fails or continues to have problems after a recovery

  • This option is probably best as it completely removes the data from the database environment and places it in a generic text file (the equivalent of a word processing document). The new data text file can be opened in a word processing application and printed if necessary (a merge file also saves the names of the fields and their order at the top of the document). When saved in a data text file, data which once took up megabytes of hard drive space can then sit in a small text file, often on a floppy disk. The following are some procedures for backing up data to a merge text file and replacing a possibly damaged file with a new database:
    • 1. Export your data to a text file using the merge text format (other options for export are available, but the merge text format gives you field names as well as data). This option is available when using the Export Command. You will be asked to name your new text file. A suggestion is to name the text file the same as your database file, date it, and use the suffix TXT to indicate it is in text format. For example: Inventory-7/3/93-TXT or Invoices 12/16/93-TXT.
      • Reminders:
        • When exporting data to a merge text file (or any other file for that matter), remember that Hearing Office software will only export the found set. If you need to export all your records, be sure to do a Find All. If you only want to export a specific group of records, do a Find for them first, then export.
        • If you want to export only records that have been recently modified, do a Find for a date range that covers just those records, and then export to merge.
        • If you have no particular criteria for the set of records you want to find, create a text field and call it Check. As you scroll through your records, place an X in the Check field, then do a Find for the X value. You now have your found set and you can export it to your merge file.
        • Before pressing the New button to export your records to the merge text file, hold down the Option key on your key board, and keep it down, until all your fields appear in the Specify Field Order for Export dialog box. Holding down this key insures that all your fields will appear for you. Be sure that each field you want to export is checked in the column to the left of the field name. If there is a field whose data you do not want to export, click on the check mark to deselect that field.
        • Leave the Don't Format Output radio button selected before you press OK. (Since you are exporting to a merge file, and the names of your fields appear as the first line of this file, they also become the first record of the file. In order to avoid importing that record if you need to do so, press the scan button to show the next record before pressing OK to import the records. Another option is to import all the records and then delete the record with the field names.)
        • Save a Clone of your Database Structure
          During this procedure for saving a clone, you will need to recover the clone. Remember, saving a clone does not remove any corruption in the structure. A clone is just the structure (the layouts of your database) without any records.
    • 2. Next, use the Save-A-Copy-As command, save a Master Clone of your database file. A clone is just the database structure (the layouts) without any records.
    • 3. At this point, you have a clone with no records, but you may also have a file structure that is possibly damaged, not because of the save to a clone, but because it may have carried corruption over from the original file. This clone now needs to be recovered. Do not open the clone. Go directly into the Hearing Office software File Menu and drag to the Recover command. Select the clone in the dialog box and begin the recovery process.
    • 4. Once the clone has been recovered, it needs to be saved as a compressed copy. This is also done using the Save-A-Copy-As command. Compression removes any fragmentation and extra space, and it provides a next-to-new database structure. Open the Recovered Clone, drag to the Save-A-Copy-As command, select Save-A-Compressed Copy (Smaller ), and press Save.
      5. This compressed clone is now your working model. Use a copy of it only when you need to have a new structure available to re-import data. Never actually use your Master Clone to import your records; always keep it as your backup clone. If you need to use it, select the clone in its folder (just to darken it, not to open it), press CommandD on your keyboard to duplicate it in your folder. Then use the copy to import your merge text file.
    • 6. Don't be surprised upon opening a clone that it is completely blank. It will remain blank until you enter your first record. (However, if you go into Layout mode, you will see all the layouts, the fields and objects that were copied over from the original database file.) Once the clone is opened, go to File Menu/Import Records. Import records and you will have a new, clean database, smaller and more compact in size.
    • 7. If you decide to change any layouts, save another clone to update your backup Master Clone. Save to a merge text file to keep a backup of just the data. If you find your data is too large to continue saving as a single document, you may want to do a Find for records that have been modified recently and export that found set to a merge text file.

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