Exact copy of an MDB file contains different data

[travislspencer]

Hello All,

We just bought a new computer that came with Vista pre-installed. We
are now trying to migrate our old XP-based applications, data, etc. to
the new OS. We are having trouble with one in particular. It is a
little Microsoft Access application that uses a compiled MDE frontend
with an MDB backend.

Getting it loaded wasn't easy because its installer was looking for a
DLL that isn't apart of MDAC 2.8 (see http://support.microsoft.com/?id=837150).
I don't have the MDB file from which the MDE was compiled, so I
couldn't follow the knowledge base article's suggested workaround.
Rather, I installed Microsoft Access on the new box, loaded the
problematic program on a clean version of XP and copied the
application's files and registry keys to the new machine. It only
added one registry key, an MDE file, an MDB, and some log files. All
the other DLLs and stuff that it depended on seems to be fulfilled by
the installation of Access. After all the finagling, it ran OK.

Next I attempted to copy our data over, so we could begin using the
program. This is where the problems started. When I copied over the
files from the clean install of XP, one of them was an MDB file that
contained sample data. When I replaced this database with the one
that contained our info and restarted the program, it continued to
show the sample data. Here is the kicker and the reason that I'm
posting this in a Vista newsgroup:

If I open "C:\Program Files\OurProgram\OurProgramData.mdb" in Access,
I see the sample data that the MDE frontend application is showing
me. If I copy that file, paste it anywhere else on the system, and
open it in Access, I SEE OUR DATA! The tables contain our information
whereas the exact copy with the original name contains the sample
data. That is completely ludicrous and makes no sense whatsoever.

Can anyone help explain this insanity to me?

 

[Lang Murphy]

Have you tried posting this in microsoft.public.access? I think your
question is valid here, given the XP to Vista migration, but you may stand a
better chance of getting knowledgable Access responses in an Access NG.

Lang

 

[travislspencer]

Hey Lang,

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.

Have you tried posting this in microsoft.public.access? I think your
question is valid here, given the XP to Vista migration, but you may stand a
better chance of getting knowledgable Access responses in an Access NG.

I don't think that I need knowledgeable Access help. I need help with
Vista. I included the details about Access in case it provides any
helpful background info; however, the source of the dilemma definitely
lies with the OS.

I'll restate the problem statement in case that helps clarify:

If I open "C:\Program Files\OurProgram\OurProgramData.mdb" in Access,
I see the sample data that the MDE frontend application is showing
me. If I copy that file, paste it anywhere else on the system, and
open it in Access, I SEE OUR DATA!

Any help in tracking down this oddity would be much appreciated.

 

[Zim Babwe]

The program in C:\Program Files\Our Program, was that from an install? If
so there may be some ancillary files in the directory that when Access opens
your MDB, there may be some code directing it to open a certain way. If you
copy the MDB to another location, it could be that the other files during
the install didn't get copied and Access operates differently.

This is just a suggestion, because there are routines that run when an MDB
is first opened. Certain events get run depending on any number of things,
and this could be a place to start looking. I don't see that Vista would
have any issues with an MDB or the way access runs procedures.

A start maybe?

 

[Tinman]

The program in C:\Program Files\Our Program, was that from an install? If
so there may be some ancillary files in the directory that when Access
opens your MDB, there may be some code directing it to open a certain way.
If you copy the MDB to another location, it could be that the other files
during the install didn't get copied and Access operates differently.

Don't think this is it at all, but good stab nonetheless. For one thing,
it's doubtful the backend (data) MDB has any sort of autoexec code/macro.
And if it did it would likely fail with some sort of error message (if it
didn't run properly). The front-end MDB would likely have some sort of
re-attachment code, but the OP has removed that from the equation by opening
the backend MDB instead (with scary results, IMO)

This sounds like a case where, for whatever reason, the OS is caching the
file's contents--intact--and presenting the cached version to an application
(in this case Access). If this is so, and it's happening on a consistent
basis (surviving reboots, etc.) it's scary indeed.

I would try eliminating shadow copy, restore point, etc., data just to see
if that helps.

Alternately, I would--if only for testing--try installing the front and back
end MDBs to a completely different folder (without ever placing the sample
backend MDB into it) and see how that works. Even if this works, I'd be
afraid to use the darn thing till I could figure out exactly what caused the
problem.

This assumes the OP has accurately described the situation. It sure sounds
hard to believe, but he seemed quite specific in the description. Weird
stuff.

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

Vista doesn't like programs that try to write to 'C:\Program Files'

Have you looked here?:

'C:\Users\<your_account>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program
Files\<application>'

here's one KB article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927387/en-us

and googling 'VirtualStore' will find you several good articles.

 

[travislspencer]

Vista doesn't like programs that try to write to 'C:\Program Files'

Have you looked here?:

'C:\Users\<your_account>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program
Files\<application>'

UNREAL!!!!

That little trickery cost me my weekend. If that isn't a MAC
commercial waiting to happen, I don't know what is.

Thanks, Keith, for the help.

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

(MacGuy enters stage left, PCGuy is wheeled on stage right, in a body cast)

MacGuy: Hi I'm a Ma ---- Geez! PC, what happened to you?!?!

PCGuy: I was just trying to protect my owner from himself -- and he threw me
out a window!!!


You're welcome, Travis