Solved: MS Access Error 3197 Microsoft Jet Database Engine Stopped

Microsoft Database Management System is a collection of applications to manage, create, update, retrieve, and store information. The Jet database engine is an underlying component of the database and it collects the information stored on a PC in a systematic way. This means it is basically used for data storage and it acts as a chief booster in performance of the Exchange. However, sometimes users encounter with ‘MS Access Run-time Error 3197’. This error code can be a great barrier in between the work also, it can affect the productivity of the organization. Below is the complete description of how this error message looks like:

Run Time Error 3197

User’s Concern

“Recently, I have shifted all my back end tables of Access into Microsoft SQL Server 2005. After that, few of the tables are running without any issue however, my sales header and footer table are not working smoothly. In both tables, I have yes/ no type fields. Initially, they also rendered some problems but I managed to resolve them. Now, each code line works fine but, after opening the record set and manipulation, it does not update the records and prompts an error message, that says Run-time error ‘3197’. And halts at below line. Can you tell me how to get over this problem? Thanks in advance!”

Cause of Access Error ‘3197’

This Microsoft jet database error 3197 message occurs when a long value column (a MEMO or OLE data type) stores a bad data in it. The long value column is usually stored in a separate page that stores rows. In case, if a long value column exists in the table schema then, the jet database engine tries to read the long value while reading the row of data. For reading the long value page, there will be a pointer in a row of the data. The error occurs when the Jet database becomes unable to properly read a long value page from the present pointer in the data row. Opening a row, which exhibits this kind of behaviour in MS Access data-windows, it will display the number sign (#) for the complete row.

Techniques to Fix the ‘MS Access Run-time Error 3197’ at Initial Stage

Whenever such kind of error messages occurs, users always think about automatic techniques even without detecting the level of corruption exists in the database file. In this section, we are going to disclose some simple methods that can easily fix the corrupted MS Access database. Well, whatever that cause of database corruption, we recommend users to try the following manual tricks as the first approach to prevent your database from corruption and data loss fixing Access Error 3197.

Method 1: Updated Microsoft Jet Version

Microsoft Jet database engine version 3.51 comprises some enhanced compact procedures that are designed to overcome the errors like Access Runtime Error 3197. This advanced compact process incorporates all the practicalities of the fixing procedure thus, it is no longer suggested to utilize the Jet database engine resolving process.

Method 2: Eliminate Compiled VBA Code

To remove the present VBA Codes from the Access database using the following command:

“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MsAccess.exe /decompile”

“C:\DatabasePath\FileName.mdb”

Important Note: If your MS Access .exe file is saved in some other location then, you have to change the file location mentioned in above command.

Method 3: Move Database to Access 2013/ 2010

One can export the currently running MS Access database to any of the updated version like MS Access 2010/ 2013 to make ACCDB file accessible again and fix the Access error 3197 message. Below are the steps to convert the Access database file to MS Access 2013 version:

Now, all the data of Access 2007 will be moved into Access 2013 or 2010 version. However, users cannot open this new file in their older access database application. If any incorrect linked table still exists in the database file then, it will be quite complex to convert and open the Access DB in the latest version.

Expert Technique to Resolve MS Access Run-time Error 3197

In case if none of the above-mentioned manual tricks works for you then, one can go for a professional approach i.e., Access Recovery tool. It can quickly repair corrupt Access MDB file of any version 2000/2002/2003/2007/2010/2013/2016. The software is capable to fix severely corrupted MS Access MDB or ACCDB database files.

Observational Verdict

MS Access .mdb and .accdb files are highly prone to corruption due to which users get various errors. How to resolve ‘Access Error 3197 : Microsoft Jet Database Engine Stopped’ is such a common user-query of MS Access. In order to fix this issue, we have come up with this technical paper. Here we have discussed some actually working solutions to overcome from the error message. Now, it is all up to the users that which solution technique they want to opt.