Please contact us at support@koretech.com if you would like to share one of your Tech Tips or need help solving a technical challenge. We would be happy to help you.

Fixing the "Cannot Update without Workfile..." Preview Message

The purpose of this tech tip is to resolve an issue that occurs sometimes for DataFlo users when they log into their system and get the message: "Cannot Update without Workfile - Inquiries Only".

The problem is that Preview has found that one of the work files associated to the user logging into DataFlo could not be opened and, by design, Preview will only allow the system to be used for inquiries for this user.

Preview uses work files for each unique "user number" to store temporary processing information it needs while using a Preview data entry screen,  and if these files are unavailable the system must be used in inquiry mode until the work files are restored. The outline below describes an approach to resolving this situation.  If you are still having problems after you try this, please contact us.

Solution Approach

(see examples of the commands following the solution approach)

1. Find the problem Work File.  You may wish to use a little utility program at the end of this tech tip called FIND.BAD.WORK.FILE.
2. See if you can clear the file using CLEAR-FILE.
   1. Yes: you’re done!  There was ‘garbage’ in the file.
   2. No: continue. The file is missing or is sized to 0.
3. Logon to the DW-GLOBAL and go to DOS or the UNIX shell
4. Check the file size:
   1. On Windows
      1. If the file does not have multiple Data files then enter the DIR command.
      2. If the file does have multiple Data files then go the dictionary directory and enter the DIR command.
   2. On UNIX enter this command: ls  -lasi
5. Fix the file with the 0 size by copying a good file over the bad file:
   For example, if  PV006,L1 is bad and PV006,L6 is good if you are in the PV006 directory, the command is:
   1. On NT you can use the "copy" command.
          Example: copy L6 L1
   2. On UNIX you can use the "cp" command
          Example: cp L6 L1

Example of commands

Step 1

>FIND.BAD.WORK.FILES
   Enter number of work files (i.e. user licenses + phantoms): 

Cant open file: PV006,L1

Step 2

>CLEAR-FILE DATA PV006,L1

Cannot open file "E:\DBMS\LIVE\DW-GLOBAL/PV006/L1".
*** Processing cannot continue. ***

Step 3 

>LOGTO DW-GLOBAL

>CLEAR-FILE DATA PV006,L1

Cannot open file "PV006/L1".
*** Processing cannot continue. ***

Step 4

>DOS

Microsoft(R) Windows NT(TM)

(C) Copyright 1985-1996 Microsoft Corp.

 

E:\DBMS\LIVE\DW-GLOBAL>cd PV006 

E:\DBMS\LIVE\DW-GLOBAL\PV006>dir

 Volume in drive E is universe
 Volume Serial Number is F860-DD4C 

 Directory of E:\DBMS\LIVE\DW-GLOBAL\PV006 

04/12/00  03:37p        <DIR>          .
04/12/00  03:37p        <DIR>          ..
12/15/97  10:39a                 1,536 L0
03/10/03  04:15p                     0 L1
03/11/03  10:51a                 1,536 L2
07/13/00  05:34a                 1,536 L3
12/15/97  10:39a                 1,536 L4
12/15/97  10:39a                 1,536 L5
07/27/99  05:27p                 1,536 L6
02/20/03  05:52p                 1,536 PV006

              10 File(s)         10,752 bytes

                          4,855,808,000 bytes free

Step 5

E:\DBMS\LIVE\DW-GLOBAL\PV006> 

E:\DBMS\LIVE\DW-GLOBAL\PV006>copy L6 L1
        1 file(s) copied. 

E:\DBMS\LIVE\DW-GLOBAL\PV006>dir

 Volume in drive E is universe
 Volume Serial Number is F860-DD4C 

 Directory of E:\DBMS\LIVE\DW-GLOBAL\PV006

04/12/00  03:37p        <DIR>          .
04/12/00  03:37p        <DIR>          ..
12/15/97  10:39a                 1,536 L0
07/27/99  05:27p                 1,536 L1
03/11/03  10:51a                 1,536 L2
07/13/00  05:34a                 1,536 L3
12/15/97  10:39a                 1,536 L4
12/15/97  10:39a                 1,536 L5
07/27/99  05:27p                 1,536 L6
02/20/03  05:52p                 1,536 PV006
              10 File(s)         12,288 bytes

                          4,855,803,904 bytes free

Program Listing: FIND-BAD-WORK-FILE

** PROGRAM : FIND-BAD-WORK-FILE
** PURPOSE : Search for problem PREVIEW Work Files.
** AUTHOR  : PAULT, Copyright 2006 Kore Technologies, LLC
**         : All rights reserved - unpublished
**
   PRINT;PRINT;PRINT
   PRINT "Program FIND-BAD-WORK-FILE"
   PRINT "This program will perform a search for Preview"
   PRINT "Work Files that will not open and report on"
   PRINT "those problem Work Files it finds."
***
   BAD.FILE.LIST=""
   PRINT "Enter the number of PREVIEW User Licenses :":
   INPUT USER.NUMBER
   IF USER.NUMBER=0 OR USER.NUMBER="" OR NOT(NUM(USER.NUMBER)) THEN STOP
***
   I=0
   LOOP UNTIL I>USER.NUMBER DO
     PORT=I'R%3'
     F.NAME=PORT:"P";              GOSUB 100
     F.NAME="TWF":PORT;            GOSUB 100
     FOR III=0 TO 5
       F.NAME="PV":PORT:",L":III;  GOSUB 100
     NEXT III
     I=I+1
   REPEAT
***
   GO 900
***
100 *** Test the file.
   CALL HW.OPEN(F.NAME,F.FILE,ISA.OPEN,0)
   IF ISA.OPEN THEN
     CLOSE F.FILE
   END ELSE
     BAD.FILE.LIST<-1>=F.NAME
   END
   RETURN
900 *** Print report and exit program.
   I=0
   LOOP I=I+1 UNTIL BAD.FILE.LIST<I>="" DO
     PRINT "Cant open file: ":BAD.FILE.LIST<I>
   REPEAT
***
   END

We hope you find this tech tip as useful. As always, if you have any question on how to do any of this, please call us.

DataFlo and Preview are products, copyrights and trademarks of Epicor Corporation