Recovering a damaged TPS file: where to start

A TPS file that will not open may have damaged data, an incompatible structure, a file lock or a missing owner password. Identify the problem before choosing a recovery method.

Close the application and preserve a copy of the affected file or data folder. Keep the original while you evaluate recovery options.

Choose the next step

What you see	Start here
Error 47 after an application update	Update the file structure
The file is in use or needs a password	Resolve access first
A usable backup contains the data you need	Restore the backup
Restoring the backup would leave out needed data, or no usable backup exists	Evaluate a repair
Records and structure are sound, but indexes fail	Consider rebuilding indexes

Check access and structure

Close other programs using the files and provide the correct owner passwords for protected files. A lock or missing password can prevent access to an otherwise usable file.

If the problem began with an application update, check the exact error. Error 47 can mean the program expects a different structure. Follow the Error 47 workflow to select the data folder and the new application's EXE or DLL.

Interrupted writes, storage failures or an incomplete copy can leave records or internal structures unreadable. Recovery may still retrieve readable records from the affected file.

Decide whether a backup is enough

Check that the backup opens with the matching application and contains the data you need. Restoring it is usually the quickest option when it meets those needs.

If the backup is too old, repairing the current file may recover newer records. A backup made while the application was writing may itself be incomplete or inconsistent, so verify it before relying on it.

Try a repair on a copy

Open TpsRep.exe and add any owner passwords the files need.

Press File... next to File or folder to process and select the copied TPS file. To process a folder, press Folder... instead.
Leave File structure (optional) empty unless TPS Repair asks for a structure.
Press Repair.

TPS Repair reconstructs readable records, builds separate output and verifies its structure and stored record counts. Folder mode processes TPS files directly inside the selected folder, without searching subfolders.

The evaluation saves a report and a limited evaluation sample while leaving originals unchanged. See the evaluation limits.

If a structure is needed

Select a working copy of the same TPS file, a CLW declaration, or the Clarion EXE or DLL that contains its declaration. A TPS structure source supplies the structure, not its records. If the damaged file's old structure is unreadable, use a source with the structure from the application version that wrote those records.

Download TPS Repair Follow the manual

Check what was recovered and saved

Start with Saved outcome in the report. It shows whether files were replaced or saved separately and lists the relevant paths.

Compare records recovered with records written and read the recovery findings. Evaluation limits, rejected records and a shortfall against the original stored count are different outcomes. A count of damaged areas is not a count of lost records.

Open the repaired output with your application and review the data. Passing structural and record-count checks does not establish that every expected value was recovered.

With a licensed copy and default settings, verified output replaces the original and a dated backup is kept. If the findings require your confirmation because of possible data loss, TPS Repair asks before replacement. Use --no-replace to save repaired output separately: a ZIP containing the repaired files under their original filenames.

Other recovery options

Rebuild indexes

If the records and structure are readable and only the indexes are damaged, an index rebuild may be enough. Use the tools supported by your Clarion version and verify the result on a copy.

Use a familiar repair tool

If you already have a TPS repair utility, try it on a copy and review the recovered data before using the result.

Extract data with custom code

Custom extraction can help when you need unusual output or special processing. It requires knowledge of the file format and careful validation of the recovered values.

File recovery cannot determine what values an application should have written into otherwise valid records. It also cannot restore deleted records whose contents have been overwritten.

For help, send the TPS Repair version, Windows version, exact error message and TR support code to tpsrep@sca.mx. Do not send TPS files, reports or attachments.