Office2007 with Access2003

[KADL]

Is there any reason we shouldn't or can't upgrade all but Access to Office
2007? We discovered some database issues in testing our 2003 databases under
Access 2007 but the enterprise insists on the Office2007 upgrade. Might I
suggest leaving Access as is while upgrading the rest of the Office suite?

Thanks.

 

[Ken Snell \(MVP\)]

If you want to export data to EXCEL or import data from EXCEL using ACCESS
2003, you may have problems if you don't have EXCEL 2003 installed on the
computer as well.

Similar issues if your ACCESS databases interact via Automation with other
Office software.

Also, you may find some reference problems when you switch from a 2007
application to ACCESS 2003 and vice-versa.

 

[KADL]

Thanks, Ken.

If you want to export data to EXCEL or import data from EXCEL using ACCESS
2003, you may have problems if you don't have EXCEL 2003 installed on the
computer as well.

Similar issues if your ACCESS databases interact via Automation with other
Office software.

Also, you may find some reference problems when you switch from a 2007
application to ACCESS 2003 and vice-versa.

--

Ken Snell
<MS ACCESS MVP>
http://www.accessmvp.com/KDSnell/

 

[John Spencer]

I do this at my office. We install Office 2007 on some of our computers
with the exception of Access. We leave Access 2003 on the computer. As
long as my database is not using any automation to other parts of Office
I have not experienced problems. I can still export data in various
formats, read data from text files, etc.

'====================================================
John Spencer
Access MVP 2002-2005, 2007-2009
The Hilltop Institute
University of Maryland Baltimore County
'====================================================

 

[David W. Fenton]

If you want to export data to EXCEL or import data from EXCEL
using ACCESS 2003, you may have problems if you don't have EXCEL
2003 installed on the computer as well.

Similar issues if your ACCESS databases interact via Automation
with other Office software.

Ken, are you sure about that? Obviously, you can't use automation of
an application that is not installed. But I thought the Excel
drivers were part of the base Access install, or maybe part of basic
Jet?

I don't know the answer here. I've just always assumed that you'd be
able to import/export Excel with a standalone Access installation
because that functionality was provided by Jet components (or,
alternatively, components designed to work with Jet, and installed
with Access).

Another issue: maybe the runtime doesn't install as much of that
functionality as full Access. Again, I don't know.

I don't have a PC without Excel installed on it, so can't really
test it (I don't want to uninstall Excel, since it's an app that I
actually use quite regularly).

 

[David W. Fenton]

We install Office 2007 on some of our computers
with the exception of Access. We leave Access 2003 on the
computer. As long as my database is not using any automation to
other parts of Office I have not experienced problems.

Automation shouldn't be an issue as long as you use late binding.

 

[Ken Snell \(MVP\)]

I have never tried to export from ACCESS to EXCEL on a computer that didn't
have EXCEL installed with the same version as ACCESS, so I cannot state with
certainty that the export doesn't work in the absence of EXCEL. I don't have
a setup installed on any of my computers that would let me test this,
either. Your concept about the drivers being part of ACCESS may be correct;
I cannot say for certain, which is why I used "may" in my original reply.


John Spencer's post gives "real life" experience with different versions of
EXCEL and ACCESS, so I'll defer to him with respect to the different
versions.

--

Ken Snell
<MS ACCESS MVP>
http://www.accessmvp.com/KDSnell/

 

[John Spencer]

While that is probably true, I have not tried any automation FROM/TO
Access 2003 and Office 2007 applications. It may work, it may not work
- I cannot say as I have not tried it.

'====================================================
John Spencer
Access MVP 2002-2005, 2007-2009
The Hilltop Institute
University of Maryland Baltimore County
'====================================================

 

[Paul Shapiro]

While you might be able to make things work with mixed office versions, I
would try to resolve the db issues that occur running under Access 2007.
Have you installed SP1 and the various hotfixes on your test machine? What
are the issues with your Access 2003 db running under Access 2007?

 

[John Spencer]

Non-compatible add ons with no current eqivalent that runs with Access
2007. I will eventually rewrite the applications when priorities and
time available coincide.

'====================================================
John Spencer
Access MVP 2002-2005, 2007-2009
The Hilltop Institute
University of Maryland Baltimore County
'====================================================