It looks like we have ongoing issues with database compactions in Windows Vista.

If you are using Windows Vista, and dont have administrative right or are not sure, then you should always do a database backup prior to doing a database compaction.  This is because the database compaction can fail if there is not sufficient rights to perform all the tasks.  The end result can be you loose all the data you have entered since the last database compaction.

Better still, dont do a database compaction.  Database compaction used to be a requirement back in the days when we were backing up the database to 1.44MB floppy disks.  But with the much large flash drives of today, this is much less of an issue.

If you want to run the program with administrative rights now, I have put together come instructions on how to achieve this at this web page www.RentMaster.co.nz/Admin.aspx .  There are some side effects of running in administrator mode, such as the program prompting you each time you run it to confirm you want to run it as an administrator, but it will allow you to do the database compaction without any problems.  If you are already logged into the computer with administrative rights, then none of this will apply to you.

In the next version of RentMaster, the compaction tab will be moved to the 4 tab on the database maintenance screen instead of the first, to signify its relative importance.  A lot of beginner users just open the window and press the first button they can see, which is the compaction button.  Also the system will do a series of checks to see if you have sufficient rights to complete the compaction before it proceeds.  If you dont, it will show you the web site URL above, and wont compact the database.