Instructions for Troubleshooting Database Opening Issues

Problems Opening a Database

Database issues may be caused by:

Hardware failure on the hard drive
Failed saves due to network disruptions
Unpredictable internal software problems

Database Structure and Backups

A database consists of three files:

d_DATABASE – the data stored in the database
d_DATABASEc – the database control file containing the structure, fields, and record count
d_DATABASEl – the database lock file (automatically recreated if missing)

Always back up databases (vxg4/shared/dbases or vxg4_srv/shared/dbases) regularly.
In case of failure, you may not be able to repair the database — restore the last working version from backup.
Always restore both the data file and the control file at the same time (d_DATABASE and d_DATABASEc).

Checking Database Read/Write Access

Ensure the user has read and write permissions to the dbases folder.

In a server installation: \\[server_name]\[shared_folder]\vxg4_srv\shared\dbases
In a standalone installation: C:\vxg4\shared\dbases

How to check: From the client computer, try copying a file in the dbases folder to another name and then delete it.
If this fails, update the permissions accordingly.
Also fix permissions on the Vertex folder on the server.

Automatic Backup: `d_DATABASEc.bak1`

If a database save fails (e.g., network connection lost), the program creates an automatic backup of d_DATABASEc as d_DATABASEc.bak1.
This backup was made before the error occurred and can be restored by copying it over the control file:

CODE

Copy d_DATABASEc.bak1 → d_DATABASEc

Important:

Shut down all G4 programs before copying.
Back up the affected databases before replacing files.

Identifying the Source Machine

In Windows File Explorer, enable the Attributes and Owner columns and check that the databases are not read-only.
Look at the file owner to see which user last modified the file — this may help identify the source of corruption.

In the Vertex home folder (e.g., vxg4/user), the ERRLOG file will show entries like:

CODE

2019-11-27 10:57:49 Error: Failed to open database 'PROREG'.

Check all users’ ERRLOG files to see who first encountered the error.
This can help determine the approximate time of corruption — use this to investigate Event Viewer logs for network or disk errors.

Testing a Suspect Machine

You can stress-test for faulty network components:

Open a command prompt and run:
CODE
```
ping –n 300 [Server_Name]
```
Simultaneously copy the vxg4_srv/system folder from the server to a local folder (e.g., C:\temp).
No ping packets should be lost.
- If any are lost, repair the faulty network component.

Antivirus and Database Issues

Antivirus software may cause database problems.
Try disabling real-time scanning for files without extensions or exclude the entire Vertex folder from scanning.
Do this both on the client and the server.
This is one of the most common fixes after correcting permissions.

Using Process Monitor to Investigate Database Writes

Download Process Monitor: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645
Start Vertex and proceed to the point where you usually get the database error.
Launch Procmon.exe.
Reproduce the error.
Stop logging (magnifying glass icon).
Review the log to see which process accessed the database files and if any errors occurred.

Checking Disk Space

Ensure there is sufficient disk space on the Vertex server — the program will not work without it.

Database Repair Tools

G4 has three separate tools for checking, repairing, or packing databases:

DBCHECK – checks the database for errors
DBFIX – repairs the database (e.g., re-indexing)
DBPACK – compacts the database

Quick Database Integrity Check (Manual Handling)

Before making any changes, back up the affected databases (d_DATABASE and d_DATABASEc) or the entire dbases folder.

You can drag a database file (d_DATABASE) from Windows Explorer onto the Vertex desktop:

If it opens, you can browse records, search (F7), or delete empty rows with Shift + Delete.

DBCHECK

Press Space twice and type DBCHECK in the Return R dialog.
Select the database folder or a specific database file.
If some fields are not in UNICODE format, the program will ask to check non-ASCII characters.
The program reports any found errors.

DBFIX

Press Space twice and type DBFIX.
Select the database folder or file.
If you select a folder, all databases in it will be checked and repaired.

DBPACK

Press Space twice and type DBPACK.
Select the database folder or file.
If you select a folder, you can choose which database to compact.