BUG: Compiler Error C2470: Cannot Open Database File

• Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.5, 1.51, 1.52

SYMPTOMS

When building a newly created project with an eight character base name, you may receive this error:

   error C2470: cannot open database 'C:\SOURCE\ABCDEFGH.MAK\! .PDB'

   LINK: fatal error L1092: cannot open module-definition file -
   ABCDEFGH.DEF

CAUSE

The project was generated incorrectly, specifying the wrong name for the PDB file. This is a bug because the error message is not telling you what the problem really is.

RESOLUTION

Select the Project menu item in the Options menu. Click the Compiler button. In the Other Options field that is part of the Custom Options Category, enter the correct name of the PDB file. In the case described in the article, the correct name would be:

   /Fd"ABCDEFGH.PDB"

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.