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Q196809: PRB: CompactDatabase Method Requires Locale to Convert 2.0 MDB

Article: Q196809
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbAccess kbJET KbVBA kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbGrpDSVBDB kbDSupport kbgrpdsvc
Last Modified: 26-MAY-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications versions 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Access 97 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When attempting to use the Data Access Object (DAO) 3.5 CompactDatabase method
to convert a Jet 2.0 .mdb file to a Jet 3.0 file format, the resulting .mdb file
is still in a Jet 2.0 file format.

RESOLUTION
==========

DAO 3.5 requires you to provide explicitly the locale argument of the
CompactDatabase when converting .mdb file formats.

STATUS
======

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Both Microsoft Jet 3.0 and 3.5 use the same file format, which is a different
file format than the format Jet 2.5 or earlier used. You can convert a .mdb
database using the CompactDatabase method of the DAO DBEngine object.

Using DAO 3.0 and 3.5 (for Jet 3.0 and 3.5 respectively), you can convert the
.mdb database as follows:

  DBEngine.CompactDatabase "20.MDB", "30.MDB", dbLangGeneral, dbVersion30

However, if you leave out the locale argument (dbLangGeneral in this case), only
DAO 3.0 converts the database:

  DBEngine.CompactDatabase "20.MDB", "30.MDB", , dbVersion30

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

1. With Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 or 6.0, or with Microsoft Access 97 or other
  Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications 5.0 or Microsoft Visual Basic for
  Applications 6.0 applications, create a new project.

2. From the Project menu, choose References and add a reference to the Microsoft
  DAO 3.5 Object Library.

3. Add a form (Form1) with a command button (Command1) and place the following
  code in the form's module:

  Option Explicit

  Private Sub Command1_Click()

  Const dbPath = "C:\Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND"

  Dim db As Database
    Set db = DBEngine(0).OpenDatabase(dbPath)
    Debug.Print dbPath & " Version:", db.Version
    db.Close

    DBEngine.CompactDatabase dbPath & ".mdb", _
                             dbPath & "30.mdb", _
                             , _
                             dbVersion30

    Set db = DBEngine(0).OpenDatabase(dbPath & "30")
    Debug.Print dbPath & "30 Version:", db.Version
    db.Close

    Kill dbPath & "30.mdb"

  End Sub

NOTE: You must change the dbPath variable to point to a Jet 2.x database.

1. Run the project, open the form, and click the command button. You should get
  the following output: C:\Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND Version: 2.0
  C:\Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND30 Version: 2.0

2. Replace the CompactDatabase line with the following and run the project
  again:

  DBEngine.CompactDatabase dbPath & ".mdb", _
                           dbPath & "30.mdb", _
                           dbLangGeneral, _
                           dbVersion30

  The second time you run the project, the output will be as follows:
  C:\>Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND Version:       2.0
  C:\>Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND30 Version:     3.0

REFERENCES
==========

Microsoft Visual Basic Help; search on: "CompactDatabase Method".

(c) Microsoft Corporation 1999, All Rights Reserved.
Contributions by Malcolm Stewart, Microsoft Corporation


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbAccess kbJET KbVBA kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbGrpDSVBDB kbDSupport kbgrpdsvc 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbAccessSearch kbZNotKeyword6 kbAccess97 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB500Search kbVB600Search kbVBA600Search kbVBA500 kbVBA600 kbVB500 kbVB600 kbAccess97Search kbVBASearch kbZNotKeyword3
Version           : :5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbprb

=============================================================================

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