Suggestion on updating Access 2000 to Access 2003

[Guest]

In my PC at home I have MS Access 2000 installed and all the computers in my
Company has MS-Access 2000 installed.

Generally I bring the mdb file at home for modification/changes and take
back at office and use there. No problem arises as my computer at home and at
office both is having Access 2000.

Now I am planning to install Access 2003 at my home PC. Will it be a problem
to bring the Access 2000 mdb and run on Access 2003. Or if I will edit Acess
2003 mdb and take to office, it can run on Access 2000.

Please advise what can be possible difficluties in shifting the file from
Access 2003 to Access 2000 Or shifting from Access 2000 to Access 2003, upon
receipt of your valuable advise I will install the Access 2003 on my computer.

Thanks and best regards.


Irshad

 

[Allen Browne]

In theory, you should be fine if you use minimal references--preferably just
3. The basic ones across versions are explained here:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-38.html

In practice, we have found it necessary to decompile a database after
editing in A2003 before using it in A2000. To decompile, enter something
like this at the command prompt while Access is not running. It is all one
line, and include the quotes:
"c:\Program Files\Microsoft office\office\msaccess.exe" /decompile
"c:\MyPath\MyDatabase.mdb"

Then compact the database, and it should be fine in A2000.

 

[Guest]

Hi Sir,
Thanks for your advise. I have taken the print and read from the links you
mentioned.

Actually I am handling a data which has been collected in last 5 years and
want to cover no risk , And this is the first time I will be using the
Access 2003, that the reason I wrote for this.

Now the thing I understand is as follows :

When I am on Access 2000 , I should Compile the mdb. Save it. Then copy and
bring it to other computer where Access 2003 is installed. Copy the mdb, open
the mdb here and again compile in this version. And it should not make any
problem.
Again while taking the file from Access 2003 installed computer I should do
the same method, so that it can run on Access 2000 normal.
I mean before shifting from any version (Access 2000 or Access 2003), I
should compile it first and then move/copy the file to another computer where
another version is installed.

Please confirm me. Is this the one I should do OR I have understood some
thing wrong.

Please advise, based on that I will proceed to go further for installation.

Regards.

Irshad.

 

[Allen Browne]

Checking that the code compiles before moving version is a good idea.

But in addition to that, you need to *decompile* before you move backwards
(i.e. when going from A2003 to A2000.)

To decompile, close Access, and enter the command at the prompt (or under
Run on the Windows Start button.)

 

[Guest]

Sir, Thanks again for your prompt advise.

Just for my knowledge can you please explain me a little that what exactly
does the "Decompile" will do to the database, I mean internally what changes
it will effect to.

As searching, I came to see two words, one was "Decompile" and other was
"Recompile". If you please give some tips on these.

Regards.

Irshad

 

[Allen Browne]

Access keeps 2 copies of the code in your database:
- the text version (what you see and edit), and
- the compiled version (what actually runs).
If these 2 versions get out of sync (as they sometimes do), you are in
trouble.

Decompiling instructs Access to throw away the compiled version, so it only
has the text version. When you open the database and use it, it will
automatically compile, or you can instruct it to do so (Compile on Debug
menu, from a code window.) You then have 2 versions that are back in sync,
and so the corruption is gone.

IME, the main causes of this kind of corruption are:
- Editing the code while it is running (i.e. in Break mode, while the form
is open, instead of ending it and switching to design view first).

- Name AutoCorrect (where Access gets confused about the name of things).

- Crashes.

For more suggestions on avoiding the causes of corruption, see:
Preventing Corruption
at:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-25.html