How do I read data from a damaged SAS dataset

[VVDR]

Hi,

How do I read the data from a damaged SAS dataset.

In what instances SAS dataset gets damaged ?

Please help me here. 

TIA..

[Patrick]

Look into Proc Repair

If you kill a SAS process in the middle of an in-place write process to a SAS table then it could get damaged (i.e. an insert/update/delete using the SAS data step modify statement).

[SASKiwi]

If your SAS dataset is not repairable, what strategies do you have restore it? Possible options are restoring from a backup version or recreating it from another data source. You may also be able to read up to and / or around the damaged record(s) by using the FIRSTOBS= and OBS= read options.

[Kurt_Bremser]

A dataset can als be damaged by running out of disk space while writing it.

PROC DATASETS has a REPAIR statement.