Cannot open database twice

[Rod]

My users have a database which is saved on a network share and they cannot
have two people open the file at the same time. If you attempt to open it
when it is already in use nothing happens, there is no error or anything it
just does nothing. From what i can tell this is an old, possibly Access97
database that has just been renamed to include new data every year. Any ideas
or suggestions?

Rod

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

First of all, multiple people shouldn't be opening the same MDB at the same
time: it increases the risk of database corruption exponentially. What you
should do is split the application into a front-end (containing the queries,
forms, reports, macros and modules), linked to a back-end (containing the
tables and relations). Only the back-end should be on server. Each user
should have his/her own copy of the front-end, preferably on his/her hard
drive.

Once that's been done, you need to check what permission each user has on
the folder where the MDB file exists on the server. Even if he/she is only
going to be opening the database read-only, each user requires a mininum of
Read, Write and eXecute, and ideally Delete as well) to the folder. This is
because Access will create a locking file (.LDB) in the folder when the
first user connects to the database, subsequent users will update that
locking file, and Access will attempt to delete the file when the last user
disconnects.

 

[Jerry Whittle]

1. All users of the database must have at least read, write, create, delete
(or modify) privileges to the folder holding the database file. Not just the
database .mdb file, but the entire folder.

2. Open the database and go to Tools, Options, and Advanced Tab. Set the
Default Open mode to Shared and the Default Record Locking to Edited Record.

3. You can also get this error if someone has a form, report, etc., opened
in design view. Early versions of Access would allow someone to make design
changes while others are using the database; however, newer versions limit
this ability. It's another good reason to split the database so that you can
do development on a copy of the Front End and put it into production easily.
Sure beats working midnight shift when the users aren't around!

4. It’s possible that someone has manually opened the database exclusively.
In that case go to the folder holding the .mdb file and open up the same
named .ldb file in Notepad. You might be able to read which users are in the
database and locked it. Apply 2â€x4†as necessary to user. However that should
give a "file already in use" error. To stop this from happening create a
shortcut for each user on their desktop or off the Start button. It should
list the target as the database file and look something like:
"P:\Databases\Database File.mdb"

5. To open exclusive use the following in a shortcut: Make sure that the
path, version of Office, and database name are right:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\MSAccess.exe" "C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Samples\Northwind.mdb" /excl

You can also open up Access by itself; go to File, Open; select your
database in the Open dialog box; then go to the lower right of the dialog box
and change Open to Exclusive.

 

[Rod]

I have checked all of your options and none of them have helped, actually the
only change I made was setting teh Default Record Locking to Edit. Everything
else i had tried. I am far from an expert at Access but i'm at a loss here of
what to try next. Apparently this same database was used last year and they
were able to multiple copies at that time, i don't know what they have done
differently since then.