Symptom:

When using Microsoft Access to open a corrupted Access database file, you see the following error message (error 53) first:

File not found

A sample screenshot looks like this:

Note the error message title is “Microsoft Visual Basic for Application”, so it seems that the error is caused because a VBA file is not found.

Click “OK” button, you will get the next error message (error 29081):

The database cannot be opened because the VBA project contained in it cannot be read. The database can be opened only if the VBA project is first deleted. Deleting the VBA project removes all code from modules, forms and reports. You should back up your database before attempting to open the database and delete the VBA project.

To create a backup copy, click Cancel and then make a backup copy of your database. To open the database and delete the VBA project without creating a backup copy, click OK.

or

The Visual Basic for Applications project in the database is corrupt.

The screenshot looks like this:

If you proceed by clicking the “OK” button to let Access open the database and delete the VBA project, you will get a third error message (error 29072), as below:

Microsoft Access has detected corruption in this file. To try to repair the corruption, first make a backup copy of the file. Click the File tab, point to Manage and then click Compact and Repair Database. If you are currently trying to repair this corruption, you need to recreate this file or restore it from a previous backup.

The screenshot looks like this:

which means Microsoft Access cannot open the database.

Precise Explanation:

The original health Access database does not contain any VBA projects at all. However, due to the corruption, Access will consider the corrupt database file contains VBA projects and try to open it. After failing to open the file, it will display the above error messages, which is a bit confusing since the original file does not contain any VBA projects at all.

The only solution is to use our product DataNumen Access Repair to repair the MDB file and solve this error.

Sample File:

Sample corrupt MDB file that will cause the error. mydb_7.mdb

The file repaired with DataNumen Access Repair: mydb_7_fixed.mdb