Issue with path / permissions for linked table

[ormazd]

This is a new one for me. I have a shared database with linked tables. Both
databases reside on our share drive. The path for the linked file is set to
S: drive, which is the default for most employees. Our HR department,
however, has the S: drive mapped to their own share. When the HR folks try
to use this shared database, they cannot access the linked tables.

In the past, I have worked around this by using UNC conventions for the
linked tables (\\server\path\filename). This time, however, when I made that
change, the users started getting an error message "The Microsoft Jet engine
cannot open the file. It is already opened exclusively by another user, or
you need permission to view its data."

I would appreciate any help if someone has encountered a similar situation.

 

[Allen Browne]

The UNC path is generally the best solution.

You can get that error message if the user does not have adequate
permissions on the share. If they don't have permission to create a file,
Access can't create the LDB, and you get that message.

 

[ormazd]

Right. But, the users don't have permission issues when using the S: drive
path to the same table. Only when using the UNC...?

 

[Allen Browne]

It doesn't have to be this issue, but last time experienced it, the network
had been setup wrongly. There were mutiple shares to the same folder, one of
which was read-only. The drive letter was assigned wrongly on the machine
that got the error.

If you are certain it's not that issue, perhaps someone else can suggest
something.

 

[ormazd]

Thanks, Allen.
I've checked the permission levels using both paths, and it seems the users
do have the same access both ways. This is a poser!

 

[Fred]

A few things to try / explore that might help narrow it down:

1. See if the user machine can open that file directly by double clicking.
(1b. and then if it can modify it)
2. See if the user machine can open that file directly by opening access
and then opening the file.


Beside helping narrow it down, i have one other note. If the answers to #1
and #2 are different, then I have seen it where (believe it or not!) an IE
setting can impair opening files across a network, but not via opening them
per #2.

Only Microsoft could find a way to impair network file opening operations
with unwanted browser software that isn't even supposed to be open.