I have a classic ASP application running on IIS6. The application connects to data files that are stored as Access .mdb files.
Every few days or so (or sometimes multiple times in a day), the site goes "down" in the sense that all pages that try to connect to the database return a
“Microsoft JET Database Engine error '80004005' unspecified error” (the scripts break at the line of code that tries to open a connection to the .mdb file). Pages that do not need to connect to the database continue to work fine.
I can clear the problem by restarting IIS on the server. Then things will run normally for a while, but sooner or later the problem happens again.
The server event logs do not show anything unusual.
The problem seems to happen more frequently at times the website is getting a lot of use though the times it breaks do not seem to necessarily be times of peak use, so it is hard to say.
Any ideas as to what might be causing this or how I might investigate it?
Thanks -- yes, that page is a good start, but I have already gone through it with no luck. Most of what I have found on the web about the "JET Database Engine error '80004005' Unspecified error" addresses situations where it is a hard failure and not an
intermittent one.
I have always had pretty good luck with Access, but I am now thinking that I may just have too much traffic on this application for JET or the driver to handle reliably (see http://databases.aspfaq.com/database/what-are-the-limitations-of-ms-access.html,
for example). I am looking into migrating to SQL Server. If you have any additional thoughts I welcome them! Thanks.
Sorry, if it is IIS6, Jeff's link is more suitable for the case. Based on my experience, 80004005 is more like a permission issue, could you please check the following that quote from the aspfaq link again, including the linked articles:
Again, IUSR_<machineName> must have read and write permissions not only on the MDB file, but also on the folder in which it resides, and in some cases the system %TEMP% folder. See
Article #2154 and
KB #315456 for more information. If you are trying to access a network drive, see
Article #2168 for information on setting up IUSR_<machineName> to connect to an Access database via a UNC share. You should also check out
Article #2142 for information on opening Access in the correct mode (e.g. adModeReadWrite).
There are certain situations where you will need to set up permissions for the IWAM_<machineName> user as well. Specifically, the C:\document and settings\%domainname%\IWAM_localmachine\local settings\temp folder. Thanks to Sylvain Paquin for pointing this
out to us!
If you are not using anonymous access, but rather Windows Authentication, you want to be sure that all potential users are in a Windows group that has sufficient privileges on the folder on the web site where the MDB files resides. You might have to update
individual permissions systematically if you are unable to do so via group membership.
If you are getting "unspecified error" then try running the IIS site in its own memory space or, if it is already doing so, returning it to the normal memory pool. Another possibility is the symptom described in
KB #225042.
Finally, Access can produce the "unspecified error" message if you use reserved words anywhere in your SQL statement (see
Article #2080 for a list of reserved words).
If this still not work, could you please check event viewer to see if can find any clues?
Still no resolution and the problem seems to be worse -- the site is getting more traffic and the error is happening several times a day, and when it happens we have to restart IIS to clear it.
I have looked at the permissions several times and they look correct (and if they weren't, wouldn't I get this error every time and not just occasionally?). I need to check the part about running IIS in its own memory space vs. the memory pool, but this
has not changed from when the problem was not occuring.
The event viewer shows no problems -- you woudn't know the site is having any problems based on this. If there is any additional tracing I can activate, let me know.
I have looked at MDAC version and OLEDB version and both seem up to date. The problem really seems related to traffic -- nothing else seems to have changed -- which is why I am thinking that maybe JET is just not up to it. It must have some limit and maybe
this is what happens when you are up against it.
Again, thanks ver y much for your input. I am happy to hear any suggestions.
According to documentations, if your MDAC version is 2.5 or higher, this should not be the issue described in KB #225042. Have you also checked whether you have used reserved keywords in your access dababase designing?
This one is tough - "intermittent", I recalled quite sometime ago there was a similar thread posting about this, you can google, and we tried quite a bit of troubleshooting but doubt it solve the issue.
Even MS can't tell why this behavior, the challenge is that yes it is permission related, yet it can't be repro as and when, it only happen 'from time to time' without any pattern.
In the end, I believe one of the suggestion is to ditch JET and go SQL express or some sort.
Cheers,
Bernard Cheah
Marked as answer by Lloydz on Aug 30, 2011 08:12 AM
dave1357
6 Posts
Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 17, 2011 08:09 PM|LINK
I have a classic ASP application running on IIS6. The application connects to data files that are stored as Access .mdb files.
Every few days or so (or sometimes multiple times in a day), the site goes "down" in the sense that all pages that try to connect to the database return a “Microsoft JET Database Engine error '80004005' unspecified error” (the scripts break at the line of code that tries to open a connection to the .mdb file). Pages that do not need to connect to the database continue to work fine.
I can clear the problem by restarting IIS on the server. Then things will run normally for a while, but sooner or later the problem happens again.
The server event logs do not show anything unusual.
The problem seems to happen more frequently at times the website is getting a lot of use though the times it breaks do not seem to necessarily be times of peak use, so it is hard to say.
Any ideas as to what might be causing this or how I might investigate it?
Thanks!
jeff@zina.co...
3379 Posts
MVP
Moderator
Re: Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 19, 2011 06:01 PM|LINK
Start Here: http://tutorials.aspfaq.com/8000xxxxx-errors/80004005-errors.html
Jeff
dave1357
6 Posts
Re: Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 19, 2011 07:28 PM|LINK
Hi Jeff,
Thanks -- yes, that page is a good start, but I have already gone through it with no luck. Most of what I have found on the web about the "JET Database Engine error '80004005' Unspecified error" addresses situations where it is a hard failure and not an intermittent one.
I have always had pretty good luck with Access, but I am now thinking that I may just have too much traffic on this application for JET or the driver to handle reliably (see http://databases.aspfaq.com/database/what-are-the-limitations-of-ms-access.html, for example). I am looking into migrating to SQL Server. If you have any additional thoughts I welcome them! Thanks.
Lloydz
2335 Posts
Microsoft
Re: Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 22, 2011 07:17 AM|LINK
Hi,
Please check the Access and Classic ASP part and follow the steps in the following blog post:
Tips for Classic ASP developers on IIS7
http://blogs.iis.net/bills/archive/2007/05/21/tips-for-classic-asp-developers-on-iis7.aspx
Hope this helps, thanks.
dave1357
6 Posts
Re: Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 22, 2011 08:58 PM|LINK
Thanks but I'm on IIS 6 so am not sure this applies -- unless I'm missing something, which is possible.
Lloydz
2335 Posts
Microsoft
Re: Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 23, 2011 05:33 AM|LINK
Sorry, if it is IIS6, Jeff's link is more suitable for the case. Based on my experience, 80004005 is more like a permission issue, could you please check the following that quote from the aspfaq link again, including the linked articles:
If this still not work, could you please check event viewer to see if can find any clues?
Thanks.
Lloydz
2335 Posts
Microsoft
Re: Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 25, 2011 01:55 AM|LINK
Hi dave1357,
Have you got your issue solved?
Thanks.
dave1357
6 Posts
Re: Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 25, 2011 02:34 AM|LINK
Still no resolution and the problem seems to be worse -- the site is getting more traffic and the error is happening several times a day, and when it happens we have to restart IIS to clear it.
I have looked at the permissions several times and they look correct (and if they weren't, wouldn't I get this error every time and not just occasionally?). I need to check the part about running IIS in its own memory space vs. the memory pool, but this has not changed from when the problem was not occuring.
The event viewer shows no problems -- you woudn't know the site is having any problems based on this. If there is any additional tracing I can activate, let me know.
I have looked at MDAC version and OLEDB version and both seem up to date. The problem really seems related to traffic -- nothing else seems to have changed -- which is why I am thinking that maybe JET is just not up to it. It must have some limit and maybe this is what happens when you are up against it.
Again, thanks ver y much for your input. I am happy to hear any suggestions.
Lloydz
2335 Posts
Microsoft
Re: Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 25, 2011 03:44 AM|LINK
Hi,
According to documentations, if your MDAC version is 2.5 or higher, this should not be the issue described in KB #225042. Have you also checked whether you have used reserved keywords in your access dababase designing?
Thanks.
qbernard
5016 Posts
MVP
Moderator
Re: Intermittent '80004005' unspecified error
Aug 25, 2011 03:48 AM|LINK
This one is tough - "intermittent", I recalled quite sometime ago there was a similar thread posting about this, you can google, and we tried quite a bit of troubleshooting but doubt it solve the issue.
Even MS can't tell why this behavior, the challenge is that yes it is permission related, yet it can't be repro as and when, it only happen 'from time to time' without any pattern.
In the end, I believe one of the suggestion is to ditch JET and go SQL express or some sort.
Bernard Cheah