Hi Eric,
As long as you maintain the default file format as an Access 2000 file, and you do not attempt to
use any new functionality introduced in either Access 2002 or 2003, then you should be fine.
There are some other issues that you should take care of as well:
1) Make sure that everyone has the latest operating system service pack installed
2) Make sure that everyone has the latest service pack for the JET database engine
3) Make sure that all of your Access 2000 users have the latest service pack installed (SP-3)
These first two issues are covered in this KB article:
How to keep a Jet 4.0 database in top working condition in Access 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=300216
Also very helpful is to establish a single connection to the back-end database for each user. An
easy method to accomplish this is to create a small one-record table in the back-end database.
Open a form in hidden mode, which is bound to this small table. You can do this either in an
autoexec macro, which calls a function, or in code behind a startup form. Leave this hidden form
open for the entire session. When the user closes Access, this form should close on its own.
Also recommended: Test your database out with Access 2000 before deploying it. Make sure that the
code is compiled. Then create a .MDE file for the front-end and distribute that, instead of the
..MDB file. You can only create an MDE file for Access 2000 by using that version of Access.
You'll need to retain your copy of the .MDB in order to make any changes to the objects in the
front-end.
Tom
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Would there be any issues if I am using 2003 and the true users will be using 2000?
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Hi Erik,
A couple of suggestions. First, with everyone out of the database, make sure that you do not have
a locking database file present on the file server. This file is typically 1 KB in size, and has
a .LDB file extension. (You may need to configure Windows Explorer to display extensions for
known file types, in order to see the extension). If you see this file, then delete it.
Go to each workstation for your other users and verify that their settings are not opening Access
in exclusive mode: Tools > Options... | Advanced tab ==> Default open mode should be Shared.
Make sure that all of your users have RWCD privileges for the folder in question. If they do not
have the correct privileges, then the locking database file cannot be created if they open it
first. The result is that the database is opened in exclusive mode. You can run a simple test,
from each users workstation logged in as that user, using Notepad to verify that they can read,
write, create and delete a file in the shared folder. I strongly recommend running this test
yourself; don't ask your users to run it or believe a network administrator when they tell you
that they have set the folder privileges correctly. I work at a major Fortune 500 company, and I
have had to deal with network administrators who told me they had everything set up correctly.
The simple test using Notepad proved them wrong.
Introduction to .ldb files
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=299373
Tom
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I have read a bunch of threads about this topic, but have not really heard a solution to my
problem.
I receive this error when trying to open a network MDB when someone else currently has it open.
Things worked find before I opened and changed some of the columns in a table with Access 2003.
What I need is to allow multiple users access to the database at the same time. These users need
access to the only table to edit the records...clean up purposes. I was able to get it to work
for me and another user only if I open the database first. I updated the setting under
Tools-Options-Open Databases Using record level locking turned off. Any help...kind of in a
bind.
Thanks!
