Mac FileMaker Recovery Using Scan and Rebuild Feature of Advanced Recovery Options

FileMaker Pro 12 is the most recent version of FileMaker Relational Database Management System. The newer version has a number of advancements and feature improvements, over the earlier versions. One such feature is the FileMaker recovery. FileMaker Pro 12 has an advanced recovery mechanism that allows you to repair a damaged FileMaker database effectively.

When you run the FileMaker repair process on the database using advanced recovery options, it creates a new database. While setting up the recovery options, you can choose how the scan and rebuild process would work on the resulted database. FileMaker Pro provides you the following four options that you can use:

1. Scan record data and rebuild fields and tables - This option rebuilds the schema of new database. It forces all the database fields and records to be scanned. It is a time consuming process, but this is the only option, which recreates missing table and field definitions. It finds and removes the records and fields, which are at invalid locations in file.
2. Scan and rebuild scripts, layouts etc. - This option rebuilds the complete structure of the FileMaker database file.
3. Rebuild field indexes: Choose Now or Later- This option rebuilds the field indexes while recovering the file, or later while indexes are required.
4. Delete cached settings – This option deletes the current settings, including layout formatting, page format, and print settings.

The above options are very helpful in performing the complete recovery of damaged database. However, there are some situations, where you may not get the desired results using inbuilt recovery feature. Such cases include severe database damage, database schema corruption, and database structure corruption.

At this point, you have to use the comprehensive third-party database recovery tools, which work in all cases of corruption. They offer absolute recovery of all your significant data. 

FileMaker Recovery If Consistency Check Reports Corruption Errors

FileMaker is an advanced and efficient relational database management system to effectively store and manage your precious data. This is very easy to use and manage. FileMaker database is extremely secure and reliable. The FileMaker Pro application provides you an option to check the consistency of the database, which ensures absolute data safety. However, under some situations, the database may get damaged and you need to go for FileMaker Pro recovery solutions to get your significant data back. 

FileMaker Consistency check is a process to make sure that your database is perfectly running. This check is performed in certain circumstances, which include the following ones:

• FileMaker database or the application was not closed properly. Improper shutdown can be due to power failure, hardware failure, or user error.

• The database was created using an earlier version of FileMaker, such as FileMaker 7 or older, and you are opening in FileMaker 9 or later versions.

• The FileMaker Pro 9 or later versions perform the database consistency check in the backup routine, if this feature is enabled by the user.

• The database is damaged and the application is unable to read its contents. It logs the information or details in event log.

Consistency check feature tells you about the problems in the database. However, it cannot correct the problems with the database. So, if your database is corrupted, you need to use Mac FileMaker recovery solutions. 

In order to repair a damaged FileMaker database, consider using the below methods:

• Restore the database from an updated and validated backup. In order to ensure absolute recovery, you must ensure that the backup is fully updated.

• Export the contents of the database and then import the same to a new and blank database. It bypasses the database structure related corruption and retrieves your data.

• If the above method does not help, you need to use efficient recovery applications to repair and restore corrupted database.

The commercial recovery tools help you get all your data back with ease and safety. They do not demand sound technical skills and thus offer simple recovery of your data. Such tools use high-end scanning techniques to ensure complete recovery of all the database objects.

FileMaker Recovery- Step by Step Guide to Recover FileMaker Database

FileMaker is a relatively advanced and reliable Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), which makes the database management process pretty simple. This is the best and proven database management solution for small and medium businesses. However, there are some situations, where you may discover that your database is damaged and it is no longer accessible. In order to read with such cases, FileMaker offers you the FileMaker recovery solution.

FileMaker Pro comes equipped with a recovery method, which is very simple and easy. The steps of the FileMaker Pro recovery process are as given below:

1.     Open corrupted FileMaker database and create a new database to store data blocks, which will be copied from corrupted database.

2.     FileMaker resets logical EOF (End of File) in corrupted database equal to physical EOF. Then it starts copying every block of corrupted database to new database.

3.     Once the copy process completes, FileMaker checks all the data blocks for validating the internal structure.

4.     In case it finds any problem with the data block, the block is repaired.

5.     After repairing the damaged data blocks, FileMaker validates every record in new database. It checks header information of each data record.

6.     When all the fields are validated, FileMaker checks them against master list of the existing database fields. If any field is not available in the master list, it adds a key to the new list.

7.     After validating all the data records, FileMaker application validates every layout of the database. It starts with replacing the current size, styles, and fonts with defaults.

8.     Every database layout is checked for consistency. It makes sure that each layout has a valid name, size, options, and object list.

9.     When each layout is validated, then FileMaker validates all the field definition.

10. After validating the field definition, FileMaker performs validation on the scripts. It validates all the scripts in the database.

11. After checking all the database objects, the application rebuilds the index or inverted list. Then it removes the existing index and fetches all the records.

12. Finally FileMaker frees up the unused space in the file and asks you to reboot the system.

When you restart the system and then FileMaker application, it comes up with a new and corruption free database.

This solution works in most of the corruption scenarios. However, if you fail to fix the problem using this method, you need to opt for FileMaker database recovery solution. It is best possible using third-party recovery applications, which are safe and easy to use.

FileMaker Recovery If Multi File Database Approach Does Not Work

As a computer user, you must know the importance and need of a valid backup. It is the best possible solution to safeguard your significant data against data loss. However, there are some situations, where you may find that backup is too big to restore. This problem usually occurs with the database, like FileMaker. In such situations, corruption can cause data loss and you have to opt for alternate FileMaker recovery solutions. 

Consider the following scenarios, which you may run across while working on your FileMaker database, to properly understand the situation:

•  You discover that your FileMaker database is damaged and it behaves strangely while accessing the data.

• The database has a number of scripts that you are unable to delete. Every time you try to remove the scripts, the below error occurs:

o   “Script cannot be found”

• You tried to restore the database from backup, but it takes very long time and process does not complete.

When it happens, you cannot access the database, not even from backup. Such issues lead to severe data loss and require FileMaker recovery Mac solutions to be fixed. 

Solution:

You can try out the following solutions to fix this problem:

• Split the FileMaker database file in several files. It is basically the best possible solution to deal with large databases. You can split the file and then create relationship between different parts of the files. However, this solution may make your database very complex as you need to maintain and remember the relationships between different files and tables.

• If you suspect that the multi file approach with cause complexity in the database structure, then you can think of separation mode as a solution. In this design process of FileMaker database, you can keep all your user programming data in one file and all tables, including data, in one file. By using scripting and advanced relationship design, you can make the user feel that both files are being access from one engine.

• Import the Data Source Tables in a new database and then recreate the indexes. It sometimes fixes the corruption and can also be very quick. Although, there is a bit risk that corruption may carry with the tables that you import, but you can later remove or recreate the affected tables.

If the above method does not help you work around the problem, then you have to opt for advanced third-party recovery applications. Such tools are designed to help you repair and restore corrupted databases of all sizes.

FileMaker Recovery If You Do Not Safeguard Database

FileMaker is a flagship relational database management system, which is available for Mac OS X operating system. It has integrated database with GUI that provides easy access and advanced functionality. It saves your significant data in a reliable database and offer advanced data safety. However, under some situations, you may encounter some errors that indicate database corruption and you have to go for FileMaker recovery solutions to get your data back. 

Database corruption is a bitter truth that causes severe data loss. Nevertheless the size of the database, version of the FileMaker and platform on which you are running it, corruptions happens and cause critical problems. However, you can avoid it up to some extent using some basic precautions, such as the following ones:

• Stop OS Level File Sharing- In some organizations, where FileMaker Pro Server is not in use or not in practice, some administrators enable database sharing on the File server. It can damage the database and should be taken into practice. You should either run the shared database from your local hard drive or FileMaker Pro Server. 

• Manage the Modifications-You should not provide full access to all the users who are updating or modifying the database. Administrator should also restrict the number of fields editable by the users. Enabling the log generation is also important for all the programming changes.

• Save Information- In case database crashes while modifying the field and cursor moving out of modified field, then the change is not recorded. Database may also lose other recent changes. You must click outside the field or tab to another field to ensure that changes are saved.

• Create Duplicate Copies- Creating backup is the most significant solution to prevent database corruption and data loss. You should keep it in your habit to backup your database. You can even use some third-party applications to schedule the backup.

In case you do not take the above FileMaker Prorecovery measures and encounter database corruption, you can try the below solutions to sort out the problem:

• FileMaker has an inbuilt recovery option that can help you sort out a number of database corruption issues. In the most recent versions of the application, the feature has become very advanced. You can use this feature by create a clone of the database.
• Inbuilt recovery feature cannot handle severe corruption issues and thus you need to go for third-party recovery applications.

The database recovery tools are capable of handling all types of database corruption issues easily and safely. Such utilities restore all the database objects quickly and effectively.

FileMaker Recovery When You Fail to Take Common Precautions

File corruption or database corruption is an unavoidable situation, even with one of the safest relational database management systems- FileMaker Pro. When it happens, it renders your precious data inaccessible, causing severe situations of data loss. In order to avoid database corruption and needs of FileMaker recovery solutions, you must take proper measures.

How FileMaker Database Corruption Occurs?

FileMaker is a storage media based application, thus it does not require loading whole database into main memory while opening the file. It transfers data as required. Any kind of application failure or malfunction in such situations leads to database corruption. Due to improper system shutdown or unexpected application termination, the file may not be written completely on the drive.

Ways to Prevent FileMaker Database Corruption:

You can prevent database corruption by taking some common precautions with your application. Following are some common strategies that can help you avoid FileMaker database corruption and requirements of FileMaker repair solutions:

• Create regular backup of your database using advanced backup tool. Effective backup software must provide multiple database copies for restoration.
• Save clone of the database. Since it is possible to recover only data from corrupted file, clone makes sure that you have a database to house the data.
• Always avoid unexpected system shutdown or application termination. You can do this by having a good Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS). You should never force quit the application.
• Earlier versions of FileMaker have a size limitation with the database. If the database size grows over the set limit, it may get damaged. You should keep it in mind.
• A corrupted or bad sector affected media is one of the most frequent reasons of database corruption. If you notice that multiple files are getting damaged, then you should check hard drive using Disk Utility.
• You must regularly perform database maintenance. Routine compression rewrites whole database and makes database healthy.

If you do not take the above precautions and face database corruption, then inbuilt recovery option of FileMaker Pro comes into picture. However, this process deletes structures and harbor corruption. Thus it is not safe and is not even advised to be used.

Under such situations, FileMaker Pro recovery utilities come into picture. Such third-party tools are capable of effectively handling all corruption scenarios. They do not make any changes to the database and offer absolute recovery with high-end scanning techniques.