Cannot access file on floppy
mj...@pc.jaring.my
A file I have used hundreds of times suddenly will not open.
I get the message "file is read only or server is down"
Also "cyclic redundancy chech error"
I have tried other files on the floppy and they open OK
I have tried the floppy on another computer and it also wil not open.
Can't copy it, can't rename it, can't open it...... HELP
Mike
I'm using XP
Mike
you have a backup.
>.
>
Norman Harker
*** Working on Excel with Floppy Discs! Summary: DON'T!
**Detail
Perhaps the most common cause of corrupted Excel files is working from
floppy discs. Without doubt the recommendation is, "Don't!" We cannot stress
this often enough or loud enough. Ignore this recommendation and you will
eventually hit a problem and may lose many hundreds of hours of hard work.
The correct procedure is:
Copy from floppy to hard drive
Open the hard drive copy
Work on the hard drive copy
Save back to the hard drive.
Copy from hard drive to floppy disc
Three additional equally crucial points:
1. Back up!
2. Back up!!
3. Back up or you're fired!!!
That recommendation always stands as the first rule of computing. But in the
context of work involving floppy discs, remember that they are nor very
stable and easily corrupted. That makes it even more important. Back up
under different names whilst working on the hard drive. After copying the
file to a floppy disc, always copy to a second floppy disc. Just in case.
Whilst on the issue of working with floppy discs. Note that frequently the
floppy disc drive is still working for some time even after the copy to disc
process is "reported" as apparently compete by Explorer (or whatever!) Never
take the disc out of the drive until at least (say) 5 seconds after the
drive light goes out.
With that covered. Now to deal with recovery of the corrupted files:
Since I seem to spend half my (official) working time uncorrupting files,
here's resource post on recovery of corrupted files. I've checked out all
the links referred to. Additional comments and suggested additions are
welcome. Some of the most frantic and desperate posts come for this and they
are frequently in tears of happiness when they get a solution.
These points cover corrupted files. Don't confuse these with problems with
slow opening, processing or closing of Excel or with Excel crashing out with
a particular file. They are usually different issues. Here we cover a case
where Excel is normally singing sweetly but with one file we get all sorts
of rude messages and just can't open it.
1. You can try opening with Excel 2002 (XP) which has a good record for
opening files that earlier versions regard as corrupted.
2. You can try a do it yourself recovery of the data but not the formulas by
opening a new workbook and trying to access cell by cell using
='C:\My Documents\Excel\[Lost File Name.xls]Sheet'1!A1
Careful with the punctuation. Copy down and across. Off to Sheet2....(Swear
on Excel Bible 2002 that you'll back up in future).
3. Then there's some commercial software. I got these from:
http://downloads-zdnet.com.com
Click on Business and then Spreadsheets.
a. Excelfix.exe is from
http://www.excelfix.com
Free trial $89 to buy (1.91MB)
Description: ExcelFix recovers cell data from corrupted Microsoft Excel
files, including versions 95, 97, and 2000. It extracts texts, numbers, and
formulas from the damaged file. Files with damaged OLE containers are
recovered. This updated version of the demo will now show a larger number of
cells: 600 cells per file or 150 cells per sheet. There is now an option
that allows saving the recovered file in several CSV text files. And you can
diagnose files in OLE mode where the OLE structure is partially damaged.
b. ExcelRecovery 3.0.02 from:
http://www.officerecovery.com
Free trial $149 to buy (799K)
Description: ExcelRecovery fixes corrupted Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
files. It supports all modern file versions, including Excel XP, Excel 2000,
Excel 97, Excel 95, and Excel 5.0. It recovers cell data, text and numbers
as well as formulas; restores formatting; restores structure of multisheet
files; and the new ExcelRecovery is capable of recovering corrupted files
with password protection (if the password is known) and restoring worksheet
names.
c. Excel Viewer for Excel 97/2000 from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/
Free (3.72MB)
Description Reported to allow recovery of data from corrupted files.
Microsoft Excel 97/2000 Viewer is a standalone program that is available
from Microsoft, free of charge. You can use Microsoft Excel 97/2000 Viewer
to view, copy, zoom, and print Microsoft Excel 97 and Microsoft Excel 2000
files (Microsoft Excel versions 2.0 and greater for Windows and Microsoft
Excel versions 2.2a and greater for the Macintosh are also supported).
Microsoft Excel viewer also includes an AutoFilter feature that is similar
to the AutoFilter feature in Microsoft Excel.
4. The following allow you to send Excel Files that they recover for you (at
a cost). Diagnostic is free. No recovery - no fee. Otherwise it's going to
cost you $50 - $800 for not backing up (and you're going have to find a way
to disguise that so your boss doen't know!)
http://www.excelwordrecovery.com/
5. Microsoft has a summary of methods to recover files in three very similar
Knowledge Base Articles:
Excel 98 and earlier: Microsoft Knowledge Base Q142177
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q142117&
XL: Summary of Methods to Recover Data from Corrupted Files
Excel 2000: Microsoft Knowledge Base Q179871
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q179871
XL2000: Methods for Recovering Data from Damaged Workbooks
Excel 2002: Microsoft Knowledge Base Q291057:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q291057
XL2002: Methods for Recovering Data from Damaged Workbooks
Here's a summary of their methods:
a. Q147216 XL: Linking to Data in a Damaged File (5.0 and Later)
b. Q45557 Handling Corrupted Excel Files by Saving in the SYLK Format
c. Use the Revert To Saved Document Command to Recover Data
d. Q137016 XL: Macro to Extract Data from a Chart
e. Use the Microsoft Excel 97 File Recovery Macro to Recover Information
(Excel 97 only) (This involves download of recover.exe from Microsoft
Download Centre. There's a copy in the form of Cleaner.xla on the Office
Resource Kit compact disc but you need the "Office 97 Resource Kit" book.
f. If you have the Microsoft Excel converter installed, you may be able to
open your Microsoft Excel workbook in Microsoft Word
g. You can also open your Microsoft Excel workbook in WordPad. If the file
does open, you may be able to recover Visual Basic code in your modules and
class modules. Search for the words "Sub" or "Function" to find your code
h. Open the File in Microsoft Excel Viewer (See above)
i. Set the Recalculation Option to Manual Before Opening the File
6. There's a free workbook re-builder available from:
http://www.vbusers.com/downloads/download.asp
7. Tom Ogilvy has posted the following links to "Yours, in desparation".
I've checked these out. There were more but one is gone and others link to
the first one (referred to above).
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q142/1/17.asp
XL: Summary of Methods to Recover Data from Corrupted Files
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q147/2/16.asp
XL: Linking to Data in a Damaged File (5.0 and Later)
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q142/1/16.asp
Files Corrupted on Save: How to Troubleshoot Source of Problem
To those who've needed to read this, Good luck in recovering your file.
Please report back to the Newsgroup with the details of your successes and
failures. It will help others with similar problems in the future.
HTH
--
Norman Harker
Sydney, Australia
If you missed Christmas there's another on 7 January!
Happy New Year
(Whenever you celebrate it and whatever number you give it)
The Bomoh
it well.
regds and happy new year
Norman Harker
Hard lessons serve their purpose!
But I really think that more prominence needs to be given to the dangers of
working with floppies. The biggest problem I have is with students using the
university computer centre where they have limited and temporary rights to
store on the hard drive. As a result the standard process is one of working
directly with floppies with the inevitable large number of corrupted files.
Regards
--
Norman Harker
Sydney, Australia
If you missed Christmas there's another on 7 January!
Happy New Year
(Whenever you celebrate it and whatever number you give it)
njha...@optusnet.com.au
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