HELP WITH ACCESS PLEASE

[Guest]

I am new to using Access. We are a small company and I am setting up a
database. There are a few questions I would like to ask:

1. If there are only a few users, is it worth splitting the database?
2. Do we all need to be connected to a server for us all to use it?
3. How can we access the database from another country?
4. If I copy the database onto another computer, they will only be able to
view it but not update it, is this correct?
5. Is there an Access Helpline?????

Thanks for all help.

 

[Rick Brandt]

I am new to using Access. We are a small company and I am setting up a
database. There are a few questions I would like to ask:

1. If there are only a few users, is it worth splitting the database?

Yes (YES)

2. Do we all need to be connected to a server for us all to use it?

A server or a PC with a shared folder. A non-server might not support as
many connections.

3. How can we access the database from another country?

Only with remote control software like Terminal Services, PCAnywhere, etc..
A WAN is WAY TOO SLOW to run Access as a file-share.

4. If I copy the database onto another computer, they will only be
able to view it but not update it, is this correct?
No.

5. Is there an Access Helpline?????

You just found it.

 

[Allen Browne]

Answers embedded.

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia.

Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

I am new to using Access. We are a small company and I am setting up a
database. There are a few questions I would like to ask:

1. If there are only a few users, is it worth splitting the database?

YES! Splitting will make it possible for you to upgrade your own copy
without disturbing everyone else, and then distribute the changes to them
once your testing is complete.

It will also avoid the corruptions and concurrency issues that occur when
multiple users are all in the same file at once.

2. Do we all need to be connected to a server for us all to use it?

If you want to share the same data, yes.

3. How can we access the database from another country?

The Access interface works only over a stable local-area network, not over
unstable connections such as dial-up, VPN, or even WiFi.

You can work around that by running the Access session on the server through
Terminal Server/Citrix etc. You could also develop an alternative interface
using PHP or ASP to read/write the data through a web page. Or you could use
replication so the data is local during read/writes. Realistically, though,
if you foresee these issues it would be good to question whether the Access
interface is the correct design to choose.

4. If I copy the database onto another computer, they will only be able to
view it but not update it, is this correct?

No. View-only is one way to avoid the whole issue of having the data
modified in multiple places at once, but it is not the only way (e.g.
replication.)

5. Is there an Access Helpline?????

Y're on it!

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

3. How can we access the database from another country?

You can read the following article of mine on how to solve the above:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal//Wan/Wans.html