Packaging a Common Access D/B

[Roger Trewenack]

Hi to any one who might help!

We have had developed for us an Access 2000 database,
which we want all our staff to get to.

I have Office XP Developer on my PC.
From what I've seen of the XP Developer Packaging Wizard,
it will deploy a database with the Access Run-Time to a
target PC, but it won't deploy just the Access Run-Time,
pointing to a Common Access database.

We have 20 PC's, in a peer to peer network, and a common
File Server - We want all PC's to access the database on
the Common File Server, and not all PC's have MS Access
installed - Hence the Access Run-Time requirement.

Is there some trick to the Packaging Wizard that I'm
missing?
I have been searching the web for some form of assistance,
with no success!

HELP PLEASE!!

 

[Graham R Seach]

Roger,

The P&DW will only install the runtime version if no other version exists on
the target computer. If you are concerned about users getting at the design,
then I recommend you compile the database as an MDE.

Regards,
Graham R Seach
Microsoft Access MVP
Sydney, Australia

 

[Roger Trewenack]

Ok Graham,
I understand the MDE concept (just discussed that with
another colleague, but how do I go about distributing the
Access Runtime, and can I then point that to a Common
Database (MDB or MDE).

 

[Paul Overway]

I think there was a service pack for this issue...sorry I don't recall the
KB article. But you should make sure you have all service packs for Office
Developer installed.

 

[Graham R Seach]

Roger,

There is a checkbox in the P&DW called "Include Access Runtime". If after
you tick this box, Access can't find the runtime files, it asks you to point
to them.

As for pointing the runtime at a common database, it's actually the other
way around. I'm pretty sure that the Access retail version will fire up if
it is installed, even if the runtime is also installed (don't quote me on
that). What most people do in situations where multiple versions are
installed, is create a shortcut to the database. In the Target field for
that shortcut, the runtime file path is specified before the database file
path, thereby telling Access which executable to use.

Of course, unless you deploy an MDE, the users will be able to get at the
design if they have the retail version installed, even if they also have the
runtime, so compiling to an MDE is still a good choice.

Finally, there is also a Registry hack that you can apply, to ensure that
the runtime is executed in preference to the retail version.

Regards,
Graham R Seach
Microsoft Access MVP
Sydney, Australia

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

You can set the path of the front end to the back end BEFORE you distribute
the mde.

If you use UNC path names, and NOT mapped drive letters, then you should not
have a problem.

If you DO NOT know the location of the backend when deploying, then you have
no choice but to provide some code that runs at start-up, and checks if the
backend can be used. If that check fails, then you pop up the browse dialog
and get the user to "browse" to the back end that resides on the server.

The code to pop up the browse dialog, and code to re-link to a back end can
be found at

www.mvps.org/access