Keep in mind, if you drop the table you will lose any long field names, default values, validations, default controls etc that you may have created for this table. It sounds like you just may need to issue SET EXCLUSIVE ON before attempting to open the table, and re-establish the link.

>>Can anyone help me to understand (and fix) the followin error?:
>>"c:\appdir\maindb.dbc: Cannot link table 'd:\appdir\archive.dbf' to this database: duplicate or missing fields. Would you like to try to link the owning database or delete the link (and free the table)?"
>>When I locate the file (maindb.dbc) to re-establish the link, I get this error:"File must be opened exclusively."
>>Thanks a lot.
>
>Try to move the .DBF file to another directory. Use the .DBF.. delete the back link.
>
>Then OPEN the .DBC Exclusive...
>
>open maindb exclusive
>
>and issue the command...
>
>validate database recover
>
>When it tells you is can't fine archive, tell it to drop the table.
>
>Once you have done this, move the table back the the directory it was in originaly... Then do a modi data and add the table back to the database.
>
>BOb