Problem with Access 97 database

[Guest]

We have an Access 97 database that we have been using in Access 2000 without
trouble. When I got Access 2003, some of the forms started having errors. The
forms contain macros that position the form at the last record of a given
type code. Is there any way to fix this until everyone else gets Access 2003?
Also, can Access 2003 run on a Windows 2000 operating system? One of the
database users isn't getting a new pc!!

Thanks for the help!

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

I run applications in access 97, and access2003 working WITH THE SAME
DATABASE AT THE SAME TIME!

So, you can very well run ms-access in mixed environments.

The key concept here is to ensure that each workstation gets the correct
version of your application installed.

I explain the concept here, and this concept has applied to the whole
desktop computing industry for about the last 20 years...

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm

If you heed the advice in the above article, the you can successfully and
reliably run diffent versions of ms-access on each computer, but STILL
CONTINUE to share the data part of the application...

 

[Guest]

The Access 97 application is stored on our network drive. We hadn't had any
trouble until I got Access 2003 on my pc. I created a test database in 2003,
but got an error when I tried to use it with Access 2000. I am having our IT
department restore a previous version of the file to see if this helps.

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Restoring the file didn't seem to help. The machines with Access 2000
experience various errors when the open form macros run. The 2003 has no
problem with it. The macros that are bombing just position the selected form
at the last record for a given record type: i.e. OPEN FORM
view = form
window = normal
APPLY FILTER
[formtype] = "uni011"
GOTO RECORD
last
We've been able to get around the problem by selecting either the next
record or last record button on the menu, but this doesn't seem to work
consitently. Also, even when we do get the form reset and working, the fonts
and or colors in the display get messed up. Please let me know if splitting
the data and application parts will most likely correct our problem or what
else we could try.

Thanks for the help!!

Ken K.
akkrug

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Please let me know if splitting

the data and application parts will most likely correct our problem or
what
else we could try.

Thanks for the help!!

Of course it will. You can't have users with diffent versions of ms-access
trying to run the same code. That will NEVER work in a multi-user
environment.

You should be distributing a mde to each workstation....

So, for the a97 workstations, they get a a97 mde

Fro the a2000 workstations, they get a a2000 mde

for the a2003 workstation, they get the a2003 mde...

It is really that simple.....

Take a careful read of that split article of mine. You attempted to run and
install software on different machines with different versions of ms-access,
and that simply will not work....

 

[Guest]

I've never split data from the programs before, but I'll try it after reading
your article more closely. The database is currently an Access 97 database.
We didn't convert it to 2000 because we had heard horror stories from our IT
department. Should I convert the 97 file to 2003 before splitting the data
and program pieces?

Thanks again for all your help. This will definitely be a learning
experience.

 

[John W. Vinson]

I've never split data from the programs before, but I'll try it after reading
your article more closely. The database is currently an Access 97 database.
We didn't convert it to 2000 because we had heard horror stories from our IT
department. Should I convert the 97 file to 2003 before splitting the data
and program pieces?

2000 was indeed the worst version since the late unlamented A95; but 2003 is
much more stable and reliable. A97 is still (IMO) the most reliable version
ever released, but there are some nice new features in 2002/3.

If you do decide to upgrade, do the full job: upgrade the database first, then
split it, and make sure everyone's running 2003. A2003 will give you the
option of having the database in either 2000 format (the default) or 2003
format, and i've seen no noteworthy differences between the two (except that
you must convert to 2002/3 format in order to create a MDE file).

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[Guest]

Should I upgrade from Access 97 directly to 2003 or start go from 97 to 2000
and then to 2003? Might be a moot point, because I have just been told that
one of our users can't upgrade to Windows XP because some of the forms based
on our old template "blow up" when opened in windows xp. Thanks for the info
anyway. I'm kind of looking forward to trying the split if we go that route.

Thanks again!

Ken K. - 2191

 

[John W. Vinson]

Should I upgrade from Access 97 directly to 2003 or start go from 97 to 2000
and then to 2003?

Absolutly go directly to 2003. 2000 was not one of Microsoft's better
products.

I suspect your WinXP issues should be readily resolved. What OS are they using
now?

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[Guest]

Everyone but me is on Windows 2000. Apparantly our department wants to keep
one pc running Windows 2000 (Word 2000) to keep Word files based on one of
our older templates from "blowing up". I'll try to get someone to send me
one of the problem files so I can see exactly how it is blowing up!

Thanks again for all of the help!!

Ken K. - 2191

 

[David W. Fenton]

Absolutly go directly to 2003. 2000 was not one of Microsoft's
better products.

Be careful if you have any references to controls on forms hardwired
into any saved QueryDefs. A2K3 handles them differently than A97,
and if you don't define a parameter for each one, you'll get
zero-length strings instead (which can be a definit problem if it's
in an append query).

 

[Guest]

I just did an about Microsoft Access and found out that the version on my pc
is Access 2002, SP3! We didn't start having major problems with the
database until I got my new pc which is running Windows XP instead of
Windows 2000. Is it worth trying the splitter in A2002 or should I wait until
I get Access 2003?

Thanks for the help everyone!

Ken K.

 

[John W. Vinson]

Is it worth trying the splitter in A2002 or should I wait until
I get Access 2003?

Don't make the common confusion of assuming that the Windows operating system
numbers are the same as the Office application version numbers. Windows 2000
is a topnotch OS, I know several people who are sticking with it - and you can
run Office (Access, Word, ...) 2000, XP, 2003 or 2007 on it perfectly well;
you can also run any of these programs on Windows XP or even on Windows Vista
(research that option very carefully before going to it though).

The database format defaults to Access2000 format for Access 2000 (of course),
2002/XP, and 2003. Any of the three programs could work just fine with a split
2000-format database. You'll save some possible hassles if everyone is at the
same version, though. If you're doing Access - Word automation, it would
probably be best to be working in the same version level, though I don't think
it's absolutely essential.

John W. Vinson [MVP]

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Don't make the common confusion of assuming that the Windows operating
system
numbers are the same as the Office application version numbers. Windows
2000
is a topnotch OS, I know several people who are sticking with it - and you
can
run Office (Access, Word, ...) 2000, XP, 2003 or 2007 on it perfectly
well;

<picky>
According to http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101668651033.aspx,
you need at least XP SP2 for Office 2007
</picky>

 

[Guest]

I have to keep the Windows XP o/s on my pc because my Design Pro Tools
Software performs better with it. My co-workers will be sticking with
Windows 2000 o/s due to problems with Word Documents based on an old template
blowing up in XP. If I can get Access 2003 or 2007. I'll convert the 97
database to whichever version I get and then split it. Hopefully this will
help with the errors we've been getting.

Thanks again for the help!

akkrug

 

[David W. Fenton]

Don't make the common confusion of assuming that the Windows
operating system numbers are the same as the Office application
version numbers. Windows 2000 is a topnotch OS, I know several
people who are sticking with it - and you can run Office (Access,
Word, ...) 2000, XP, 2003 or 2007 on it perfectly well; you can
also run any of these programs on Windows XP or even on Windows
Vista (research that option very carefully before going to it
though).

I thought 2007 require XP or higher?

 

[David W. Fenton]

I have to keep the Windows XP o/s on my pc because my Design Pro
Tools Software performs better with it. My co-workers will be
sticking with Windows 2000 o/s due to problems with Word Documents
based on an old template blowing up in XP. If I can get Access
2003 or 2007. I'll convert the 97 database to whichever version I
get and then split it. Hopefully this will help with the errors
we've been getting.

Office 2007 does not run on Windows 2000.

 

[Guest]

I didn't even know there was an Access 2007, so I'll try to get 2003 first
just in case there are problems with 2007.

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

I've been told that our company doesn't use Access 2003. We are using Access
2002 on all of the pc's in our area. The trouble with our database really
started when I upgraded to an XP operating system. This seems to have messed
up the database (which is still in A97 format). Unfortunately, I need the XP
o/s to run my DP Tools software. I haven't had any trouble with the database
on my XP machine. It just doesn't work on any of our other machines that are
running Windows 2000. Will splitting the database (in A97 or A2002) allow us
to share a data file even if we some of us have XP and some of us have
Windows 2000?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

A common problem with trying to use the same database in different versions
of Access and/or WIndows is that the References collection gets messed up.

References problems can be caused by differences in either the location or
file version of certain files between the machine where the application was
developed, and where it's being run (or the file missing completely from the
target machine). Such differences are common when new software is installed.

On the machine(s) where it's not working, open any code module (or open the
Debug Window, using Ctrl-G, provided you haven't selected the "keep debug
window on top" option). Select Tools | References from the menu bar. Examine
all of the selected references.

If any of the selected references have "MISSING:" in front of them, unselect
them, and back out of the dialog. If you really need the reference(s) you
just unselected (you can tell by doing a Compile All Modules), go back in
and reselect them.

If none have "MISSING:", select an additional reference at random, back out
of the dialog, then go back in and unselect the reference you just added. If
that doesn't solve the problem, try to unselect as many of the selected
references as you can (Access may not let you unselect them all), back out
of the dialog, then go back in and reselect the references you just
unselected. (NOTE: write down what the references are before you delete
them, because they'll be in a different order when you go back in)

Splitting the application, and each user having his/her own copy of the
front-end, will minimize these sorts of problems.