Linked tables and icon setup in network environment

[Tony Girgenti]

Hello.

We have an Access database that runs a report with linked tables to another Access database. Both are on the server. After i link the tables from the one database that runs the report to the other database, and i do this from one workstation that has a map to the network drive of "W:\WIP". When i go to another workstation, that has a map to the WIP folder with a different drive letter, and try to set up an icon to use the same report database, it says "Could not find file W:\WIP\CHF DATA.MDB"

How do i set it up so that everybody can get to the Access MDB no matter how they are connected to the WIP folder ?

Thanks,
Tony

 

[Guest]

You will have to use UNC drive mapping. Here is a link to where you can get
code to find out what that mapping is:

http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0003.htm

Then you can use this to find out where your W: drive is mapped:
fgetuncpath("W:")

In this case, I woulld guess that:
W:maps to something like

\\someservername\WIP

once you determine what it is, you can then put the rest of that path an
file name on it. So you would set up your link as:
\\someservername\CHF DATA.MDB

 

[Tony Girgenti]

Hello Klatu.

Thanks for your reply.

I don't understand your suggestion. I can't find "fgetuncpath" anywhere on
the internet.

What is it ? I don't see how this helps me.

If MS Access is a networable program, then why does it seem so hard to do a
simple thing like link tables for network use.

Thanks,
Tony

 

[Guest]

Tony,
You need to copy and paste the code from this website:

http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0003.htm

It has the function and all the supporting code.

This is not unique to Access. Every application that has data residing on a
network has to deal with it. Since most of the apps we use stay on our own
machine, it doesn't matter - Our drive mapping takes care of it. With Access
and any other application that is distributed to multiple users who may be
using it with different drive mappings, as you are encountering, it has to be
configured. So while your drive F: may map to a location that is mapped as
T: on my computer, they are in the same location. The UNC drive mapping
takes care of that, and Windows translates the UNC path to the drive letter
path of the machine it is on.

Now, what is interesing, is that using UNC mapping is slower than drive
letter mapping because Windows has to look up the UNC reference and convert
it to the drive mapping to find the data. So, what I use some of the code in
the link abouve for is to link a user's data using drive mapping. Since I
don't know what each user's mapping is, I have a Relink routine that looks up
what drive is mapped to UNC path and refresh their links using their drive
letter mapping.

Plese feel free to post back if you have any more questions.

 

[Tony Girgenti]

Klatuu,

I'm sure you know what you are talking about.

What puzzles me is that this database has been running for a while now at
the customer site. I inherited this database from someone who is not
available for assistance. There is nothing, like what you are telling me to
do, inside this database coding. That is why i can't figure out why it
works.

I need to make a change to the logic of the database and install it at the
client site. If i have to do what you are suggesting, then why is it
working now ?

Thanks,
Tony

 

[Guest]

Tony,

Your original question was why linking tables does not transfer from
computer to computer. I think I explained the reason for that. If I did
not, let me know and we can go over it again.

There is likely nothing in the database like the code I recommended to you.
To a front end to a back end so the front end is transportable from computer
to computer on the same network, you will have to use UNC mapping. This is
to prevent you from having to go to each user's computer and link based on
his drive settings.

The code I recommended can be used to do that without knowing what the UNC
path is. You can link to a back end using drive letter mapping and it will
convert it to UNC mapping so that all users on the network can use a copy of
the same front end.

 

[Tony Girgenti]

Klatuu.

I appreciate all of your insight and help. What you say makes sense. It's
just gonna take me a little bit of time to understand how to incorporate it
into my coding.

Thanks,
Tony