Here are the steps to reproduce (I just did it again):

use BtCrArch && this is new table in Redp\DBC\Jobs directory, which belongs to JobControl database
copy to g:\redp\dbc\jobs\btcritssarch with cdx database jobcontrol

open database JobControl
modify database
** Table is there and could be opened correctly

Now:
use BtCritss - gives an error about BackLink.

If I use BtCritss with full correct path, it opens just fine. However, it doesn't open BtCritss using use BtCritss anymore (REDP\DBC\Jobs\MetaFiles are in the path as well as Redp\DBC\Jobs)

I would say, it's a BUG in COPY TO command. I looked into DBC directly, but didn't find anything suspicious.

>Well couple of things to run by you:
>
>There is a possibilty that even though the table was copied to the database, its physical location is where the current folder was. Open the DBC and look for the copied table rather than look for it in the directory.
>
>Try to issue the 'use' command without the alias, if you use the alias and then use the table name in dbf() function, you get 'alias not found' error message.