Troubleshoot replication (MDB)

The Design Master might have been moved from its original location or might be damaged. To find the new location:

1. Open a replica in the replica set.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Replication, and then click Synchronize Now.
3. Click Browse to locate other members of the replica set on your computer or network.
4. Select a member of the replica set. If the Make 'Filename' the Design Master check box appears, the member you are synchronizing with is the Design Master.

The Design Master might be damaged. Make a replica of the new Design Master.

How?

You can recover a Design Master if the file has been lost, damaged, or moved. However, this option is unavailable if the currently opened replica is a partial replica.

1. Make sure that there is no Design Master in the replica set.
2. Open the replica that you want to make the new Design Master.
3. On the Tools menu, point to Replication, and then click Synchronize Now.
4. Click a replica in the list, and then click OK.
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 as many times as necessary to synchronize with each remaining replica in the replica set.

   Important  Make sure that you synchronize with all other replicas in the replica set.

6. On the Tools menu, point to Replication, and then click Recover Design Master.
7. Click Yes.

Your replica might be in use by another operation or application and can't be opened exclusively. Wait a few minutes, and try again.

If you still can't make your replica the Design Master and haven't received another error message, your replica may be damaged. Delete the replica and create a new one.

Having more than one Design Master in a replica set prevents the members of the set from synchronizing correctly. If this occurs, do the following:

1. Determine which Design Master should continue to be the Design Master.
2. Delete the Design Master that should not exist.
3. Delete all replicas that had their most recent synchronization with the deleted Design Master or with other replicas that have had their most recent synchronization with the deleted Design Master.

   How?

   Caution

   • Do not delete the Design Master for the replica set unless the Design Master is no longer functioning. Deleting the Design Master prevents you from changing the design of the database.
   • It's a good idea to check a replica for existing conflicts. Otherwise, the record of any existing conflicts will be lost when you delete (or move) the replica.

   1. In Microsoft Windows Explorer, find the replica you want to delete.
   2. Click the replica that you want to delete and press the DELETE key.
   3. From another replica set member, attempt to synchronize with the deleted member. (This procedure broadcasts the deletion to the other members.)
4. Create new replicas from the remaining Design Master to replace the replica or replicas you deleted.

1. Open the member of the replica set that you want to synchronize.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Replication, and then click Synchronize Now.
3. Enter the path and file name of the other replicated database with which you want the open database to synchronize.
4. Click OK.
5. Close and reopen the database to view the updated records.
6. If your data still doesn't appear, you may have changed data in local objects, which are not synchronized with the members of the replica set, or there may have been a conflict with another member.

1. Open the Design Master.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Replication, and then click Synchronize Now.

I want to use a different program for resolving synchronization conflicts

Briefcase replicates Microsoft Access database files that you drag into My Briefcase. If you don't want to replicate the database file, change the file extension from .mdb (or .mde) to another extension.

Versions of Microsoft Access before Microsoft Access 95 can't replicate databases and likewise cannot use replicated databases.

You can convert a replica set that you created in Microsoft Access 97 by synchronizing your replica set and then converting every replica individually in Access 2000 or later versions.

Note  This process must be performed before a database is replicated.

1. On the File menu, click Database Properties.
2. Click the Custom tab.
3. Select the ReplicateProject property in the Properties box.
4. Click No next to Value.
5. Click Modify.

The database file you selected isn't a replica .mdb file. To make a replica of your database, it must first be converted to a Design Master. Converting your database increases the size of your file because new, hidden system fields and tables are added to your database.

If you want to be able to change the design of your database while working on the Briefcase copy of the .mdb file, make the Briefcase copy the Design Master. It is important to remember, however, that no one will be able to make changes to the design of the replica remaining on the desktop.

Any formatting included in PivotTable and PivotChart views used in tables, queries, views, stored procedures, and functions is not replicated when you set up replication for your database. You can replicate the format of PivotTable and PivotChart views in a form.