Read-Only access

[Sean]

I have an Access database in a shared location where some
users have full control and some have read-only access.
When the read-only users open the database it locks the
other full control users out from making any updates
etc.. Is this the way it should be working?

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

How are you giving users read-only access: by only giving them Read access
to the folder through NTFS permissions? If so, that's likely your problem.

Users need Change (RWXD) to the folder where the MDB exists, even if they
aren't going to update the database. This is because the first user to open
the database causes Access to create a locking file (.ldb), subsequent users
update that locking file, and the last user out of the database deletes it.
You can prevent a locking file from being created by opening the database as
Read-only and Exclusive (doable through command-line options in a shortcut
pointing to the database), but I'm 100% certain that'll allow a combination
of update users and read-only users.

 

[Dayle]

I have different front-ends for different access types. I
can then code the autoexec with a function that I built in
a module (I have a module to hold most functions)

Change the setting to whatever level you need.

Public Function ChangeRecordLocks()
Application.SetOption "Default Record Locking",
2 'lock edited records
Application.SetOption "default open mode for
databases", 0 'sets database to shared
Application.SetOption "behavior entering field",
2 'sets cursor behavior to End of text when text field
gets focus