[Return to contents]

"Unable to open ___.dbf file, 5009" errors

Last updated: 28 Nov 2003 by XpertSS.com

Approach displays this error message upon opening an .APR file if:

• The user has mapped the application's database folder to a different drive letter on their network server than the one mapped by the application developer.
• The drive letter used by the developer is not mapped to anything on the user's computer.

Example 2: A developer is working on the server and puts databases into C:\mydata and shares that folder on the network. User A opens the Windows Explorer and maps the shared "mydata" folder as "G". On opening the .APR file, Approach looks for the folder on C and gives the user an opportunity to substitute databases. If the user is allowed to do this substitution and save the .APR file, the developer on the server will get a -5009 error the next time the .APR file is opened if no G drive exists on the server.

It is important to an Approach developer whose application will be shared over a network to plan for this situation and insist that the users of the application all map the shared drive to the same letter. Since many computers today have CD drives and perhaps other drives, it is recommended that the shared drive letter be above "F" to avoid conflicts.

If you can open the .APR file, go to the FILE / APPROACH FILE PROPERTIES menu and you will see a list of all the files associated with the application and the complete path to them. For dBase databases, only each .dbf file is listed, but the .adx and .dbt files must be in the same folder as their .dbf file.