Open Exclusive Question

[Guest]

While trying to make a design change I got a "...you do not have exclusive
use of the database and may not be able to save any changes..." type error.
I then tried to open the database "Exclusively" (I am the owner of all
objects and have Open Exclusive rights) and got an error that said I can't do
that because someone else was also using it. I guess I'm not up to speed as
to how to do this in Access. What is the best way to accomplish what I'm
trying to do? Can I only do this when no one else has the database open?

Nick

 

[Scott McDaniel]

If you're using Access 2000 or greater, then yes, you must have Exclusive
access to the database to make changes. In 97 you could make changes while
others were in the database (which is NOT a good idea), but later versions
disallowed this.

Generally speaking, you should "deploy" a working version of your database
to endusers, and you would keep the "design" database separate. The design
db is where you make changes and test your code. Assuming you've split the
database (i.e. tables in one .mdb file, everything else in another) then you
would simply send the new "frontend" (the forms, reports, etc) and have the
enduser just copy it to the correct directory.

If you setup your development environment to mimic that of your users (i.e.
if the user connects to C:\MyDatabase\MyFile.mdb, make sure your design
environemnt does as well), then the enduser can just copy the new file over
the old. If you can't mimic the enduser directories, then you'll have to
relink (this can be done via code, of course, of the enduser can be coached
through it - it's pretty simple once they've done it a time or two).

 

[Rick Brandt]

While trying to make a design change I got a "...you do not have
exclusive use of the database and may not be able to save any
changes..." type error. I then tried to open the database
"Exclusively" (I am the owner of all objects and have Open Exclusive
rights) and got an error that said I can't do that because someone
else was also using it. I guess I'm not up to speed as to how to do
this in Access. What is the best way to accomplish what I'm trying
to do? Can I only do this when no one else has the database open?

Nick

Access 97 was the last version that allowed design changes while other users
were in the file. After that you must have the file open exclusively.