> One of the few sites that I still have running IB5.6 ( because they
> won't pay for an update ;) ) has had a hiccup which I can't understand.
>
> They do not have access to any SQL tools, like IB_SQL, so they can't
> 'fiddle', backup happens from a batch file, and SHOULD have left me with
> a couple of back issues, but for some reason the database is empty. The
> metadata is correct, just all tables blank, yet the file size is
> still 79Mb.
>
> Backup and restore produces a 700k blank database, but anybody got any
> idea how the contents could be wiped? I could understand a backup
> metadata only, but then size would change. The only other thing would be
> 'DELETE FROM xxx' for each table - which in theory they can't do. So any
> other thoughts?
>
> I'm not too desperate in this, although there is 6 months of data in
> theory missing between the last engineers visit and now, but since they
> have not been using the system properly I'm happy to say - well if you
> had updated ... but it would be nice to fill the gap as it could help
> win another order.
>
> --
> Lester Caine

I have struck this once - I too have a client stuck on 5.6. Have you done a
validation? ignore transactions in limbo? and checksums? I seem to remember
it can backup OK sometimes but be empty unless you do the ignore bit, in
which case you will get all data visible to the users at this time and
restore will be OK too.
Alan