Newbie q: Can't modify a database

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jon Hendry
  • Start date Start date
J

Jon Hendry

Hi,

I've been handed an access database in order to modify it (in the
programming sense), but when i open it it opens as an application,
without any apparent means of modifying the database structure. All it
will let me do is add or edit data.

Is there a secret trick to opening the database for modification, or
do I have to go to the owners of the database and have them save it in
a different way?

Thanks,

Jon
 
Hi Jon

If you hold down the shift key while the database is opening it should
bypass any startup options code and take you straight to the database
window.

If this doesn't work, then the shift key has been disabled, and the fix is
more involved, so post back here if you still have a problem.
 
Jon

Can you confirm that what you have is an ".mdb" file, and not an ".mde"
(which is not modifiable)?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP
 
Jeff

i've heard of a lot of people that make it into a MDE and then they
change the extension back to MDB
have you ever heard of this?

any other way to tell if it's really a MDB or a MDE?

-Aaron
 
consider yourself lucky

MDB randomly loses data

move to SQL SErver and Access Data Projects
 
Graham,

This worked like a charm! Thanks!

Hi Jon

If you hold down the shift key while the database is opening it should
bypass any startup options code and take you straight to the database
window.

If this doesn't work, then the shift key has been disabled, and the fix is
more involved, so post back here if you still have a problem.
--
Good Luck :-)

Graham Mandeno [Access MVP]
Auckland, New Zealand


Hi,
Click to expand...
I've been handed an access database in order to modify it (in the
programming sense), but when i open it it opens as an application,
without any apparent means of modifying the database structure. All it
will let me do is add or edit data.
Click to expand...
Is there a secret trick to opening the database for modification, or
do I have to go to the owners of the database and have them save it in
a different way?

Jon
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hi,
I am also a newbie, I tried the shift key while opening the .mdb file but it
won't open in edit mode. Is there another way?
Thanks
 
Hi Frank

It sounds like, at some stage, someone has run some code to disable the
"bypass key" (shift key). This is done by creating a database property
named "AllowBypassKey" and setting it to False.

To undo it, you need to set that property to True, but as you can't get into
the database to edit code, it has to be done from the outside.

Here is a good general-purpose function for setting properties on objects:
=========== start code ===============
Public Function SetProperty(obj As Database, _
PropName As String, PropVal As Variant, _
Optional PropType As DataTypeEnum = dbText, _
Optional AdminOnly As Boolean) As Long
Dim prop As DAO.Property
On Error GoTo ProcErr
Set prop = obj.Properties(PropName)
If prop.Type = PropType And Not AdminOnly Then
prop.Value = PropVal
Exit Function
Else
obj.Properties.Delete PropName
End If
CreateTheProperty:
Set prop = CurrentDb.CreateProperty(PropName, PropType, _
PropVal, AdminOnly)
obj.Properties.Append prop
ProcEnd:
Set prop = Nothing
Exit Function
ProcErr:
With Err
If .Number = 3270 Then Resume CreateTheProperty
SetProperty = .Number
.Raise .Number, .Source, "Error setting property " & PropName _
& vbCrLf & .Description, .HelpFile, .HelpContext
End With
Resume ProcEnd
End Function
============== end code ================

You will need to create a new database and open a new module into which you
paste this function.

Then add another procedure to open your database and set the property:

============== start code ============
Public Sub EnableBypassKey()
Dim db as DAO.Database
Set db = DBEngine.OpenDatabase("<insert here the path to your database>")
SetProperty db, "AllowBypassKey", True, dbBoolean, True
db.Close
End Sub
============= end code ===============

Now, just position the cursor anywhere in this procedure and press the F5
key to run it. Now you should be able to use the shift key.
 
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