ACT! file extension blc

[CAtransplant]

I have ACT! version 6 installed.  I hope there is somebody still using this version.  I'm not sure I really have a big problem but thought I'd get expert opinions to be sure.  I'm running under Win7Pro in a VM-XP environment.  When I compress/reindex, the app hangs at the end (I think it's the end).  When I look at the Task Manager, it appears that vpc.exe is running, so I guess we're looping somewhere.  After three hours, though, and a fast PC, I'm pretty sure it isn't really still working.  When I look at the files in the directly, they are all dated almost three hours ago, so that makes sense.  However, there is one file that is zero bytes but has same time/date as other files.  My database is called PAYDB, so the file is paydb.blc (which the internet kindly informs me is a file extension ONLY associated with BIACORE Instruments project information).  Other ACT! databases I have (that I have not attempted to reindex since installation) contain large blc files compared to other file types within ACT!  Since I am unable to find anything anywhere discussing blc file types, I'm hoping someone on this board might have some info.  Thanks.

[kfredricks]

Are you sure it's not .blb?  That was known affectionately as the "blob" file and could get rather large as it contains your attachments as well as a bunch of other things.

[CAtransplant]

Thanks, Karen, but no.  Actually, once I have to End the unresponsive application thru Task Master, and I do a dir /od in the directory thru a DOS prompt, there are two files with the time of the End of the procees - one is the .blb file you refer to and the other is the .blc extension file.  So, you're close to being right since they are obviously related, but I don't remember the blb file having an index corrolary - if that's what the blc file is.  Maybe.  Anyway, I don't have any way of doing the simple Compression/Reindex without it hanging at the end, but I also can't tell if there is any damage.  All seems ok.  Thanks again, and if you think of anything else, shoot me a note.  RH

[Roy_Laudenslager]

The BLB fle doesn't have an index because it's a modified linked-list file. I suspect the BLC file is a bogus file. If you have the demo database available, try doing a compress and reindex to see if you have the same problem.

[CAtransplant]

Roy, thanks for your reply.  Yes, as much as I've played with ACT files over the years, I couldn't recall ever seeing a blc file before.  So, I just renamed the PAYDB.BLC to PAYDB.CLB and ran the compress/reindex.  It hung again.  When I looked in the directory, there is a zero byte PAYDB.BLC sitting there.  So, the compress/reindex executable is creating the file (well, obviously not the complete file).  I'll have to break out of it again.  I could send you the blc file zipped up if you want to pursue it.  RH

[CAtransplant]

Ah, no demo db available.  Deleted long ago.

[Roy_Laudenslager]

Try creating anew temporary database to see if it creates the database. If it does try doing a compress and reindex on the new database. If it hang the same way then you have a system or program problem, if not then the problem is with your main database.

Assuming it's a system program, it's likely to be ACT! program corruption, Windows registry problem, Windows file association problem or conflict with another (malware?) program.

[CAtransplant]

Created test db.  Compressed/reindexed.  No blc file.  Added note to contact for test data.  Compressed/reindexed, no blc file.  It does hang at the end of the process, but moving the mouse completes the job.  That's at least partly if not wholly the VPC at work.  I see it elsewhere.

Went back to existing non-test db, backed up, compressed/reindexed.  At the end, when it hung, I clicked on red x in upper corner of dialogue box instead of ending thru Task Manager.  Get error msg response.  It's graphic so can't copy/paste. It's sent to MS.

From screen cap:

ACT! 6.0 Application

Error signature -------------------->

      szAppName : act.ext -> szAppVer : 6.0.3.979 -> szModName : hungapp -> szModVer : 0.0.0.0 -> offset : 00000000

Reporting details --------------------->

      yadda, yadda

To view technical information about the error report, click here.  Did.

Error Report Contents

The following will be included in this error report:

C:\DOCUME~1\XPMUser\LOCALS~1\Temp\WERf532.dir00\act.exe.mdmp

C:\DOCUME~1\XPMUser\LOCALS~1\Temp\WERf532.dir00\appcompat.txt

For the record, since it didn't truly hang, the problem would be with my existing databases - per your suggestion.  How do you suspect the file gets generated since I effectively deleted the existing one by renaming it last time but the compress/reindex re-created it?

Thanks.