>If I try to open the table while the index function is not on the path, when I try to use the table, VFP tells me that the function does not exist and won't let me open the table
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>If I put the function in path and then open the table, SYS(2029) returns 48 VFP table

Are you saying that all invisible tables have UDF in their indexes? Did you try to copy .FXPs for those UDFs into the folder with tables?