Will Access 97 .mdw work in Access 2003?

[nohata]

I have a small network of about 50 users. Multiple Access 97 applications
are located on an NT 4 server. Each user has a PC with an individual
installation of Access 97 in mainly Windows NT 4 environment (also few Win
2000's with Access 2000). I configured one of the PC's with Workgroup
Administrator and user level security - Users, Groups, individual Logins and
Passwords and Permissions. Then I copied System.mdw file from that PC to
System32 directory on each PC on the network. Worked like a dream.
Whenever I needed to add an user or change permissions I would make changes
on one of the PC's and again copy system.mdw to all PC's on the network.

Soon we will be adding new PC's with Windows XP and Access 2003 installed on
each machine. Will I be able to continue to simply copy existing Access 97
System.mdw file to new machines and expect same results or will I have to
design the whole new security system for Access 2003 PC's?

BTW am I correct in an assumption that I will have to keep all databases in
Access 97 format for the purpose of design changes (while data entry and
edit is possible from Access 2003 PC's) until everybody is ready with 2003
machines and then convert all databases to Access 2003?

Please advise.

Thanks

 

[Lynn Trapp]

Will I be able to continue to simply copy existing Access 97 System.mdw

file to new machines and expect same results or will I have to design the
whole new security system for Access 2003 PC's?

Yes! We are still using the .mdw file from Access 95 where I work.

BTW am I correct in an assumption that I will have to keep all databases
in Access 97 format for the purpose of design changes (while data entry
and edit is possible from Access 2003 PC's) until everybody is ready with
2003 machines and then convert all databases to Access 2003?

Not completely. You will want to split all your databases into a
frontend/backend configuration. Then, make a 2003 copy of the frontend by
converting the 97 frontend. Make sure that both frontends point to the same
backend. Give the users who have 97 a copy of the 97 frontend and the users
who have 2003 a copy of that frontend. As users are converted they get a new
frontend too.

--
Lynn Trapp
MS Access MVP
www.ltcomputerdesigns.com
Access Security: www.ltcomputerdesigns.com/Security.htm
Jeff Conrad's Access Junkie List:
http://home.bendbroadband.com/conradsystems/accessjunkie.html

 

[nohata]

Thanks for advice and links. It's much easier to learn when properly
guided.

Best Regards.

 

[TC]

Yes! We are still using the .mdw file from Access 95 where I work.

JFMI, can you still use that mdw file in A95, or has Access silently
upgraded it to the new version?

TC

 

[Lynn Trapp]

I don't know of any action that would automagically upgrade the file without
human intervention. It's defintely the A95 version.

--
Lynn Trapp
MS Access MVP
www.ltcomputerdesigns.com
Access Security: www.ltcomputerdesigns.com/Security.htm
Jeff Conrad's Access Junkie List:
http://home.bendbroadband.com/conradsystems/accessjunkie.html

 

[Jeff Conrad]

in message:

JFMI, can you still use that mdw file in A95, or has Access silently
upgraded it to the new version?

My 97 format MDW file has worked just fine with 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.
No conversion prompts or issues at all.

 

[TC]

Thanks folks.

TC