MDB to MDE Question

[Guest]

Hello I'm very new to Access so sorry if this is a dumb question..

I've created a database with 4 tables and several forms for the users to
input the data and to do lookups with. Now that I have the forms and
everything done I've created an MDE format of the tables and Forms and now
have the users working with the MDE file on a shared network drive. My
question is do I need to Link the MDB file with the MDE so that the data the
users are inputting gets back to the master MDB because I don't see the
changes or updates in the MDB..

Thanks for your help..

 

[Dirk Goldgar]

Hello I'm very new to Access so sorry if this is a dumb question..

I've created a database with 4 tables and several forms for the users
to input the data and to do lookups with. Now that I have the forms
and everything done I've created an MDE format of the tables and
Forms and now have the users working with the MDE file on a shared
network drive. My question is do I need to Link the MDB file with
the MDE so that the data the users are inputting gets back to the
master MDB because I don't see the changes or updates in the MDB..

Thanks for your help..

If you didn't first split the MDB into front-end and back-end, convert
the front-end into an MDE, and distribute that, then nothing the users
do in the MDE is going to have any effect on the original MDB.

This is the procedure you should have followed:

1. Split the database into two databases: the "back-end", which
contains just the tables, and the "front-end", which contains everything
else and has its tables linked to the tables in the back-end. The
Database Splitter wizard (from the Tools -> Database Utilities menu)
will do this for you.

2. Put the back-end on the server and make sure the table links in the
front-end point to it.

3. Compile the front-end and convert it to an MDE.

4. Give each user his own copy of the MDE front-end. That's better than
sharing the front-end itself over the network.

Where you are right now, if the users have already put in a lot of data
to the MDE, you may need to copy that data back into the MDB before
follwing the above procedure. If they were all using the same, shared
copy of the MDE, that shouldn't be a complicated task.

 

[Guest]

That's kinda what I was thinking but wasn't sure..

I went ahead and did what you said and now have an MDB, MDB_BackEnd and a
MDE that I have the users pointing to and the updates are now showing up in
the MDB..

When you say give the users the MDE to work with can these be moved to their
local c: drives or should they remain in the shared folder on the network
with the MDB and MDB_BackEnd..

Thanks again for your help..

 

[Dirk Goldgar]

That's kinda what I was thinking but wasn't sure..

I went ahead and did what you said and now have an MDB, MDB_BackEnd
and a MDE that I have the users pointing to and the updates are now
showing up in the MDB..

I want to make sure you've done everything correctly. After you did the
split and then converted the front-end to MDE, you would have the
following files:

YourDBName.mdb
YourDBName.mde
YourDBName_BackEnd.mdb

Now, the linked tables in both "YourDBName.mdb" and "YourDBName.mde"
(both front-ends) should point to "YourDBName_BackEnd.mdb" (the
back-end), so all data changes made in either of the front-ends should
show up in the back-end, as well as being reflected in the front-ends.
You *must* keep (and back up) the non-MDE front-end -- YourDBName.mdb --
because you need that if you want to make any further design changes to
the front-end. You can't change the forms, reports, or VBA code in the
MDE. However, you should tuck that MDB version of the front-end away so
that nothing undesirable can happen to it. All normal work with the
database should be done via a copy of the MDE.

When you say give the users the MDE to work with can these be moved
to their local c: drives or should they remain in the shared folder
on the network with the MDB and MDB_BackEnd..

Assuming you are on a LAN, and your users aren't using Terminal Server
to connect to the server, then each user's copy of the front-end MDE
should be placed on the user's local hard disk (C:, normally). That
way, it's only the data that has to go back and forth between the user's
workstation and the server.