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STACKER NOTE                                                   STACKER NOTE
Title:  Stacker 3.0 Compatibility with Microsoft Access
STAC FAX Index #3502 - 01/20/93                          
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Background.

Through  recent message threads on CompuServe Information  System (CIS) 
between the Microsoft Access Test Group and a user, it  was reported that 
Stac  Electronics' Stacker 3.0 product had incompatibilities  with  
Microsoft's  Access  database program.  These message threads were the 
result of a mis-interpretation  of an error message generated by Stacker's 
CHECK program when  run with  an  undocumented  engineering  switch. The use  
of the engineering  switch and it's mis-interpreted output  are  further 
explained in STAC FAX Index #s 3701 and 3501 The engineering switch was
recommended for use by Stac  Technical  Support only as a temporary
work-around  for  a condition unrelated to compatibility 
with Microsoft Access, while Stac addressed a more permanent solution.

Result.

After further discussions between Microsoft and Stac Electronics, a follow-up 
clarification message was posted on CompuServe by the Microsoft Access Test 
Group which states: 

    "It  turns out that there was a misunderstanding  on  my
    part  regarding the severity of the problem.  The  'lost
    sector  groups' errors being reported by 'CHECK /=D  /F'
    are  100%  benign.  The Access files are not corrupt  in
    any  way.   My  understanding is that these undocumented
    CHECK  switches  are low level internal debugging  tools
    for  use  by their developers.  When used with  /=D  /F,
    CHECK  is  very  zealous about reporting *all*  possible
    problems,  no  matter  how benign.   It  will  sometimes
    return  messages  that imply that  files  are  corrupted
    when  they  really  aren't.  This is what  is  happening
    with  Access  files.  I really want to put the  question
    of  Access/Stacker 3.0 'incompatibility' to rest.  'Lost
    sector  group' error messages from 'CHECK  /=D  /F'  are
    not real errors, and should be completely ignored."

As  a result of the discussions between Stac  Electronics  and Microsoft,  
it  was  confirmed that there  are  NO  compatibility problems between 
Stacker 3.0 and Microsoft Access.







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Copyright 1993, Stac Electronics