Hi glanz,
I'd start with the basic trouble-shooting actions. Quit Appleworks before doing the first two.
• Delete the Recent items folder (or most of its contents).
You'll find this folder at:
username > Documents > AppleWorks User Data > Starting Points > Recent Items.
The items in this folder are aliases (pointers) the the named files, not the actual files. Deleting the aliases does not affect the actual files.
• Delete the preferences and cache files.
AppleWorks keeps a set of preferences files for each user, found here:
username > Library > Preferences:
In the Preferences folder, find and delete the file com.apple.appleworks.plist
Still in the Preferences folder, find and open the folder AppleWorks.
In this AppleWorks folder, there are two preferences files and two cache files:
AppleWorks 6 Assistants Cache
AppleWorks 6 Button Bars
AppleWorks 6 Preferences
AppleWorks 6 Translators Cache
It is usually safe to leave the Button Bar file, unless you have noticed issues that appear to be related to the Button Bar.
Trash the Preferences file and the two cace files.
AppleWorks will build new, clean copies of thesse files as they are needed.
Those two actions will clear many issues affecting ApppleWorks.
Regarding your Database file itself:
There are several courses of action. With ALL of them, start by making a backup copy of the current file (and any other AW files used). Use the copies for these steps.
1
Try saving your file (Save As...) as an AppleWorks 5 document. The Close the document, and Open the AW 5 version. The translation will drop any features not supported in AppleWorks 5, but also resolves some issues with the behind the scenes pointers in the file, which may be all that's needed.
2
If you have a previous copy of the DB file, saved before the multiple copies of new records started appearing, open that copy, Save As... with a new name, then transfer the data from the missing records into the newly named file and Save.
3
Export the data from your current file by doing Save As... and choosing ASCII Text as the file format.
Open an earlier copy of the DB file, delete all the records, then Save As... changing the file name.
Drag the text file onto the (empty) DB document's page and drop it. (not tested) OR Open the text file into a Spreadsheet or Word Processor document. Select All, Copy, then Paste into the (empty) DB document. (done in the past, but not recently tested).
4
Export the data as above.
Open a New DB file and delete the existing record.
Drag and drop (or copy/paste the contents of) the text file into the new DB.
Disadvantage: This will create a new DB file, but will lose field names, formatting, all layouts, and the formulas in all calculated fields, leaving a great deal of work to be done to restore the DB to its current functionality.
Going forward:
Backup. Backup. Backup.
Keep a rotation of at least three recent versions of the file. If/When AppleWorks crashes, restart, reopen the files and immediately Save As, using a new name (I've just added an a, b c, etc. to the end of the filename for each new version. Last year, a membership list I maintain was on version f by the end of the year. For the current year (which starts in September), I'm on version c.
Regards,
Barry
