How do I create a shortcut?

[Guest]

Hello Again,

I have protected my database using the Microsoft Knowledge Base 289885 How
to help protect a Microsoft Access Database
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289885/.

I need help creating the shortcut that forces the user to use the .mdw file
which I created. I keep trying to create on but thus I have been
unsuccessful. My database and the .mdw file is stored on a citrix server so
that the other users who will eventually be using this database have access
to it. Keeping that in mind, I was wondering do I use the MSACCESS.EXE
that's local to the citrix server, or do I use the one that's on my local
drive in my computer?

Please be as descriptive as possible as this is the first time I'm doing
this. I thank you in advance for your reponse.

 

[Joan Wild]

You should split that database (even on Citrix). Each user will have a copy
of the frontend in a folder on the Citrix server.
The backend along with the mdw file would be in a single folder on the
server.
The shortcut would use the msaccess.exe on the server.
See http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/terminalserver.htm

 

[Guest]

Joan,

Each user is to have a separate copy of the front end in a folder on the
Citrix server, and a shortcut using the msaccess.exe file on the Citrix drive
on their desktop? Just so I'm clear what I need to do. Also, the .mdw and
the backend needs to be in another separate folder?

Thanks.

 

[Joan Wild]

Joan,

Each user is to have a separate copy of the front end in a folder on
the Citrix server, and a shortcut using the msaccess.exe file on the
Citrix drive on their desktop? Just so I'm clear what I need to do.
Also, the .mdw and the backend needs to be in another separate folder?

Yes each user should have a separate copy of the FE, and all their shortcuts
would use the msaccess.exe file on the citrix server.

As for the mdw/backend; you'd put them in a folder - I'm not sure what you
mean by another separate folder - separate from what?

As long as the frontends that the users have are linked to the backend, it
doesn't matter what folder it is in.

 

[Chris Mills]

Just to re-iterate Joan's response really, I believe the recommended procedure
is a separate Front End for each user (whether it's Citrix or networked). This
is a general recommendation for multi-user Access (and not specifically to
Citrix).

In Citrix, I believe a separate FE can be installed in each user's "private
space". Which means it would be sensible to put the "Back-end mdb/mdw" in some
separate "public-space" folder, or anyway so as to identify it as the "shared
components".

I had a complaint once that it seems a waste of disk-space to duplicate the FE
on Citrix, but disk space is hardly a problem! (I had a 40mB or so front end)
It means you have to update multiple FE's when you update, but that's standard
for networks and some utilities are available eg Tony Toews Auto FE Updater
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm

Now I HAVE (or as I claim, some customers have!) shared an FE amongst half a
dozen users, and there was no problem doing so (eg there were no "personal or
temp tables" etc). Nevertheless, if you get into reliability problems, people
would say "I told you so!", and it was easy enough to change if necessary!

I don't believe you can use MS-Access from the local PC, because the local PC
becomes just a "dumb terminal" when logged onto Citrix, so that the copy of
MS-Access on Citrix IS effectively the "local Access".

As to setting up shortcuts, these apply equally to Citrix and ordinary
networks. I don't believe Office Developer or Access Runtime PDW products do a
good job, which is one of many reasons people choose 3rd-party products like
www.sagekey.com (or others) for the setup. I, just using Office PDW, EXPECT to
have to manually tailor shortcuts, and the generic full Access shortcut is
often posted here.

HTH
Chris

 

[Guest]

This is so HARD.

I'm back again. Now I've split my database. I didn't use the splitter, I
did it using Joan Wild's instructions. I created the shortcut on the destop
on citrix (just for working purposes right now, I will remove it) which I
intend to copy to my users desktop. I get an error from access "Microsoft
Access can't find the database file....". Does anyone know why I'm getting
this error?

I basically searched for the msaccess.exe file on citrix and created a
desktop shortcut from there. I then added the " full path to the
database.mdb" /wrkgrp "full path to .mdw".

Can someone please help me? I need to finish this project and I'm at my
wits end.

 

[Joan Wild]

You misunderstand. You will not put a shortcut on the user's desktop.

When someone uses Citrix, their local PC becomes a dumb terminal.
Everything they are doing is on the ctrix server.

Usually you create a profile for each user, so that when they log in they'll
have their own 'desktop' on the citrix server. It's here that you want the
shortcut to appear for each user. In addition, each user will have a copy
of the frontend on the server in their own folder.

I am only guessing here, but where is the shortcut looking for the database
file? It needs to find it on the citrix server, not on your local pc.

I am also wondering whether you need to use Citrix at all. Are all these
users remote?

 

[Guest]

Joan,

I am using Citrix because all my users are remote.

Second. I did what you said. I logged unto citrix and I then put a copy of
the FE in my "my documents" folders. Now I'm getting a different error "The
command line you used to start Microsoft Access contains an option that
Microsoft Access doesn't recognize". Then when I click the "ok", I get
"Microsoft Access can't find the database file". Below is the target for my
shortcut.

"M:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\MSACCESS.EXE" “M:\Documents and
Settings\dga\My Documents\Florida-Alabama Leakage Database.mdb†/wrkgrp
"G:\Engineering\FCC_Leakage Database\Leakage Database Data\Florida-Alabama
Workgroup.MDW"

Do you have any other suggestions

 

[Joan Wild]

I'm curious about the M: and G: I would have expected c:\Program Files and
C:\documents...

Also the G: is that a mapped drive on your PC or on the server?

 

[Chris Mills]

I don't read anything wrong with TriniGal's posted shortcut (eg an incorrect
drive letter should cause a file-not-found or similiar).

I vaguely recall (and it seems to be rare) that I've sometimes had unresolved
shortcut errors resolved by placing /wrkgrp before the database spec. Whether
this is true or not, there ARE no other options in that shortcut to
"unrecognise".

Also, coming from MS-DOS days, I prefer to use 8char filenames/folders with no
spaces (esp if strange errors). I'm not saying there's anything wrong with
long filenames, but THAT command line is longer than Saddam Hussein's reign
(making it difficult to tell what's going on and/or edit)

And, for example, don't be scared to cut-down a shortcut, just for diagnostic
purposes and to test it step-by-step. If you (say) completely remove the
/wrkgrp spec, Access should load, it should load the database file, and then
throw up some APPROPRIATE permissions error (but you prove Access was found
and that database was found). I don't think it's being too silly to say "take
the generation of a shortcut in steps, and verify expected behaviour in each
step". This is how I found the (possibly rare) ordering-bug mentioned above.

Chris

P.S. TriniGal: it may seem hard, but you are doing/learning a LOT of things at
once (eg database splitting, possibly security issues, and Citrix
implementations all simultaneously. We are all in a rush, and you are doing a
great job. It is sometimes said that the fastest way forward is to take a deep
breath and go slower in spite of the deadlines (step-by-miserable-step)

 

[Chris Mills]

BTW, something is strange about the double-quotes, if this is a direct copy.
Pasting it back into a shortcut gives strange characters (before word-wrap),
then I noticed some of the double-quotes in the post are different. Could just
be the posting method or my eyesight of course.