Inventor can't find parts when opening assembly

[vance]

Good day all;

The subject line sounds simple, but this isn't a matter of me moving part files around after an assembly is created (I've been using Inventor for about 6 years, so I know better!).

Here's the problem...  I just recently installed Inventor 2014 (with the latest SP & update) on a workstation at the office, and have begun creating parts & assemblies with almost no problems… until now.  Beginning about 2 or 3 days ago, I started having issues with Inventor 2014 “losing” parts when I try to open an assembly (.iam) file.  In a nutshell, here is what’s happening:

1. Created part (.ipt) files.  (For this example, I’ll call them Parts A thru D.)
2. Created assembly (.iam) file using Parts A – D.
3. Save iam file, close.  Able to reopen & close at a later time with no issues.
4. Attempt opening same iam file later, but receive the following error messages: “Error opening a storage in database P:\[Client folder]\[Client project folder]\Part A.ipt.” and “The database in P:\[Client folder]\[Client project folder]\Part A.ipt could not be opened.”  Cancelled open command for iam file…
5. Attempted to open Part A.ipt with no success.
6. Went into “OldVersions” folder, found previous version of Part A, copied/pasted into working folder & re-named as Part A.  (Original Part A deleted.)
7. Attempted opening same iam file – successful this time!  However after closing iam file & re-opening later, I get the same error messages as before, but this time for Part C.  Go through the same steps as with Part A.
8. Attempted opening same iam file (again) with success.  Close iam file.  A little while later, attempt to open file – now Part B is missing (same error messages).

I did some searching around on the forums & found something similar to my problem.  The fix seemed to be setting up project (.ipj) files (yeah, I know I should have done this from the beginning...).  I tried this & then re-started Inventor.  Once again, the same problems keep happening.

The weird part is that the ipt files that Inventor can’t “find” were previously opened, not changed, and not moved around in Windows Explorer.  When attempting to open the iam file, the dialog box asks for the location of the file, but the correct file path is shown & I can see the ipt file in among all the others.  So I selected the file & clicked “OK”… only to be returned to the same query for file location.  When I try opening the ipt file itself, the preview window is blank with a message stating “Preview can’t be shown” or words to that effect.  There doesn’t seem to be any logical pattern to the errors – it’s almost like the errors are randomly happening (i.e. Can’t find Part A, solve problem… Now can’t find Part D, solve problem… Now can’t find Part B, etc.).  To say that this experience is frustrating is an understatement.  (I could add a few adjectives to describe, but none would be forum-friendly…)

Is there something that I’ve overlooked or haven’t done?  The wrinkle in all this is that I have an older version of Inventor (2011 or 2012) on my computer at home, and have experienced nothing like what I’m going through here at the office…  Does anyone out there have any suggestions, solutions, or other?  Please help – thanks!

[jtrillos846FQ]

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