Hi Guys,

I hope this is the right forum for the question. Please advise if it isn’t.

I can’t seem to be able to find this info on the web. And I know this has to be a beginner question and I am a beginner, but here goes anyway.

How can I configure MS Access 2003 to allow multiple users to launch and use a database? At this time Access is only allowing 1 person to use the database at a time.

I have network securities in place where the only people I want to have access to the file can map to the folder. So I don’t think, for now, I need any further securities like a password.

FYI… This is only a temporary situation for now.

Sometime in the near future I will be breaking the tables out of Access and storing the data in SQL Server and only using Access as a front end for forms and reports.

Any assistance is much appreciated.

James
:)

What you are describing is called "Exclusive Open" which appears to be set as the default mode to open a database. You need to set the default opening method for "Shared Open" instead. If you are using workgroup security, you have to disallow permission to open the database object exclusively. There is a permission in the security section of the database where the object isn't the tables or queries but the database itself.

If you aren't using workgroup security, you need to look up "Exclusive Open" or "Open Exclusive" in Access Help to see how to set the database property to the right value for that. I am on Ac2007 and have to admit I have forgotten where this is on older versions of Access if you aren't using the Workgroup security section.

If you are trying to open the database with multiple users then it is probably good that it is set to exclusive.

Each user should have a separate front end.

Unless I have seriously misunderstood the question I am surprised that TheDocMan hasn't pointed this out.

The “Default open mode” is set to Shared and only one person can open the database at a time.

According to the Help File If I want others to be able to open the Microsoft Access database at the same time the “Default open mode” is supposed to be Shared.

But that is what it was set to and only 1 person could open the database at a time today.

I think I may have it figured out. I think I may have been toggling a form between Design View and Form View. Even though it was in Form View at the time the second user tried to open the database Access still had the file in Exclusive.

I will try again later.

Thanks for all your help.

James

Under the arrangements you have it is only a matter of time until your database gets corrupted. You should not be working on the prooduction database.

Also read this:
http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=172363

I apologies if I have misled you. This DB is not in production yet. It’s only in design / testing and once I have the forms and reports the way I want them (and after our next operation readiness test Monday) I plan on breaking the tables out and put them into SQL Server.

Sorry if I was not clear enough and thank you for getting back to me.

Galaxiom, I try to avoid making too many assumptions in a day. Guess I had used up my quota. But your point is well taken. An unsplit database is an accident waiting to happen.

JLatham, if you split the database into front end, back end, and make the users copy the front ends to their workstations, you COULD use your local copy as a developer's copy and have something open in design mode in YOUR FE and the others would still have the production versions intact in their copies of the FE. So that exclusivity associated with opening something in design mode would not be an issue. (Unless you were opening a TABLE in design mode, 'cause that's in the BE.)

Thanks Doc Man.

I am a few weeks away from splitting the DB. I think I have this test version about ready form my next two operation readiness tests.

I just have a few polishing touches to set a minimum and maximum character count in some of the form fields and I will have it ready for Monday.

Thank you all for all your help, and I don’t care what those guys say on the other forum, you guys are very helpful and even nice too.

Thanks!

James