Crystal Reports 2008 failed to retrive data, and instead deleted it.

Question

I have been using crystal reports 2008 for the past year or so with our billing software through an OBDC data source. I was using xp pro sp3. However I recently upgraded to a new computer running xp pro sp3 as well, and now I am having some serious issues.
When I try to connect to a data source in the database expert, it shows all the tables, and then the field explorer shows the fields, but when I actually try to brows the data, view a preview, verify the database, or refresh an old report it gives me an error and DELETES the .dat file that the field was located in. I am so glad I have regular backups to restore too, because pulling a report nuked 5 .dat files.
The errors I am getting are as follows:
"Failed to retrieve data from database."
Clicked ok
"Failed to retrieve data from database."
Clicked ok
"Database Connector Error: 'HY000:[Pervasive][ODBC Client Interface][LNA][Pervasive][ODBC Engine Interface][Data Record Manager]The file cannot be created with Variable-trail Allocation Tables (VATs)(Btrieve Error 105)'"
Clicked ok
"Failed to retrieve  data from database.
Details:HY000:[Pervasive][ODBC Client Interface][LNA][Pervasive][ODBC Engine Interface]Unable to open table: <nameoftable>"
Click ok
and Crystal stays open but has just deleted the .dat file that the table was located in. It will still show the fields but  no data. Trying to open the other software leads to an error "missing <name of table>.dat" It then has to be restored from a backup.
I have tried updating crystal as well as fully uninstalling it and reinstalling it, we have created a new ODBC connection, and cloned the database for testing purposes. The same thing occurs with the new database and ODBC data source.
We have no other computers, except my old one that has crystal reports on it. I have tried the old computer again and it is working fine.
Does anyone have an suggestions? This is pretty critical. Thanks in advance.
Edited by: Russellk on Jan 13, 2010 8:27 PM

Answer 1

Hello, you could try turning on ODBC tracing to see if it logs anything. It's a pain to get going but here's how.
Go to ODBC Admin, Click on the Tracing tab and create a log file and save. Don't start tracing yet. Close the ODBC admin and then re-open it and then turn tracing on. You may have to do this a few times to get it working.
Once it's tracing then open CR and try the demo data. Then close the report, log off, log onto the real data and do the same with a new report. You'll see a bunch of ODBC API's but there may be one or 2 that don't look right or errors may be logged compared to the DEMODATA.
Another suggestion is it may not be your PC doing the deleting. Maybe the Server thinks you have infected the data files and it's deleting them. Have a look in anti-virus quarantine logs on the server to see if it's doing the nasty....
Check the trust between your PC and the server.
I've also seen this type of odd behaviour with corrupted Profiles. Check with your IT guys on creating a new one for you, it's apain because you loose everything on your work station.
What happens if you log on from another PC using your account? Does that also delete the files? Or get someone else who it does work for log into your PC, does that work? If so it may be your Profile is either not trusted or it's been corrupted.
Good luck
Don