I have a database that runs the usual front end/backend configuration
with a user base of about 15 people.

I have just started working for the company and no one had compacted
the database for months. I waited until the last person had logged
off for the day , made backups and ran the compact. The database went
from 80mb to 4mb!

The next day when trying to run a simple find (ctrl-f) on one form
users got an error that went something like "Error (number -1517)
there is no message for this error". The error didn't prevent the
correct records from being found. On another form 2 of the fields are
saying #Error.

This isn't good I think and restore the front end database on every
machine from a backup (phew!). I notice when I am doing the restore
operation that some of the users aren't linking to the backend the
same way. Some have a shortcut to a network copy of the front end.
Others have a copy of the frontend on their desktop.

The error was occuring for all users though? Which tells me that the
backend must have had some kind of corruption , but none that I could
detect.

Has anyone had this happen to them or have a clue what made this
occur. It may be a coincidence that this error occured now and had
nothing to do with the compacting. ???