Short cut blues / command line switches / WIF

[Keith Nichols]

Hi Folks,

This may not be an Access problem per se, and if not, I appologize in advance.

I have a FE/BE split database with multiple users. I have found out how to add a command line switch to the shortcuts (the shortcut must go to the application first for any switches to work) which opens the database front end nicely. Problem is, I can't get it to connect to the appropriate WIF.

I have tried copying the text from "Microsoft Access Inside Out" which didn't work as it has "/wrkgroup" rather than "/wrkgrp". My set up wouldn't accept that.

Anyway I'm half way there but stuck now. I don't get any error messages when I use the shortcuts but Access stays joined to whatever WIF it was connected to the last time it was running.

I have searched this site but couldn't find anything regarding this specific problem, in the recent past at least.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

I have copied the details from the 2 shortcuts below. The first is to my database and the networked WIF, the second to Access to return the desktop PC to the default WIF. I have also added the Access version number and operating system version numbers.

This is the shortcut to my database with the workgroup switch set to the WIF created for this database:

Target:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\EDT DB\WC-ED0023001R0.02a-fe.mdb" /wrkgrp "K:\EDT FOLDER\EDT DB\ED.00.23.001_WIF.mdw"

Start In:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11"

Network Drive WIF Path:
K:\EDT FOLDER\EDT DB\ED.00.23.001_WIF.mdw

This shortcut is supposed to restore Access to the default WIF on the desktop PC:

Target:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE" /wrkgrp "C:\Documents and Settings\QPUser\Application Data\Microsoft\Access\System.mdw"

Start In:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11"

Desktop WIF Path:
C:\Documents and Settings\QPUser\Application Data\Microsoft\Access\System.mdw

Access path:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\Access.exe

Access Version:
2003 (11.6355.6408) SP1

Environment:
OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600

Thanks in advance,

Keith.

[Bat17]

I have a similar set up and the only real difference I see is the order of the switch. try:-

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE" /wrkgrp "K:\EDT FOLDER\EDT DB\ED.00.23.001_WIF.mdw" "C:\EDT DB\WC-ED0023001R0.02a-fe.mdb"

You should not need to switch back though as Access should stay with the default workgroup and only connect to another with the switch.

HTH

Peter

[Keith Nichols]

Originally Posted by Bat17

I have a similar set up and the only real difference I see is the order of the switch. try:-

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE" /wrkgrp "K:\EDT FOLDER\EDT DB\ED.00.23.001_WIF.mdw" "C:\EDT DB\WC-ED0023001R0.02a-fe.mdb"

You should not need to switch back though as Access should stay with the default workgroup and only connect to another with the switch.

HTH

Peter

Hi Peter,

It's nice to know that I haven't made any awful errors (or at least I have weeded out the gross errors myself). I will try the switch order you suggest - thanks.

My understanding is a bit light in these matters. I thought I had read somewhere that you had to unlink from the WIF or people would get a password request for every database they open. In other words, When they aren't using my databae, they shouldn't be connected to my WIF. Is this wrong?


Regards,

Keith

[Keith Nichols]

Originally Posted by Bat17

I have a similar set up and the only real difference I see is the order of the switch. try:-

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE" /wrkgrp "K:\EDT FOLDER\EDT DB\ED.00.23.001_WIF.mdw" "C:\EDT DB\WC-ED0023001R0.02a-fe.mdb"

You should not need to switch back though as Access should stay with the default workgroup and only connect to another with the switch.

HTH

Peter

Hi Peter,

Switch order made no difference. Whatever is going wrong appears to be subtle as everything looks right to my inexperienced eyes.

Any other suggestions welcomed.

Kind regards,

Keith.

[Bat17]

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Officexp\Office10\MSACCESS.EXE" /wrkgrp "\\Murph\OEE\New OEE Database\DataTables\OEE.MDW" "\\Murph\OEE\New OEE Database\peters\oee2000.mdb"

Here is an actual shortcut I use. Its A2K/W2K but I use the same method on XP machines.

one posibility may be the path to the MDW file, as, if it doesent find it I think it just reverts to the standard system one.

Peter

[Keith Nichols]

Originally Posted by Bat17

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Officexp\Office10\MSACCESS.EXE" /wrkgrp "\\Murph\OEE\New OEE Database\DataTables\OEE.MDW" "\\Murph\OEE\New OEE Database\peters\oee2000.mdb"

Here is an actual shortcut I use. Its A2K/W2K but I use the same method on XP machines.

one posibility may be the path to the MDW file, as, if it doesent find it I think it just reverts to the standard system one.

Peter

Hi Peter,
The only thing that I can see is that you use a double back-slash " \\ " to start your path rather than the single I use. I don't know what difference this would make but I'll try it when I get to the office.

To be honest, I don't hold out much hope as the shortcuts are finding the database and Access; why should the path to the workgroup be any different?

I think you are close on the default .mdw. What seems to happen is that when Access cannot locate my specified .mdw, for whatever reason, it goes to the default directory and creates a new file called System1.mdw rather than use the existing System.mdw. Everytime I try the shortcut, a new Systemx.mdw is created.

Regards,

Keith.

[Bat17]

The double slash is because I can't use the drive letters as IT in there normal helpful way have mapped drives differently on differnt pc's

Peter

[Keith Nichols]

Hi Peter et all,

Thanks for the suggestions.

My command line switches for the WIF won't work. Simple as that. I have given up for the time being and unsecured the database whilst it is in a limited release (10 users).

The odd thing is that the switch to the database works in either order (before or after the wrkgrp switch) so my basic command line swithcing method appears to be correct. This is true of the shortcut to the BE database as well, so the network addressing from my PC appears to be ok.

Any other thoughts or ideas gratefully accepted.

Regards,

Keith.

[ghudson]

The order of the swithes does not matter but my example below follows the logical order of the file strings and switches.

You will get an error if one of the target files [.mdb or .mdw] does not exists.

Do all users have msaccess.exe installed in the same location?

You do need the two backward slashes \\ before the name of the server when using the UNC instead of a fixed drive.

Below is another example of a simple shortcut [all on one line in the Target field of the shortcut]...

PHP Code:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\MSACCESS.EXE" /wrkgrp "\\Server\Partition\Directory\Workgroupfile.mdw" "\\Server\Partition\Directory\DatabaseFile.mdb" /user UserName 


[Keith Nichols]

Originally Posted by ghudson

The order of the swithes does not matter but my example below follows the logical order of the file strings and switches.

You will get an error if one of the target files [.mdb or .mdw] does not exists.

Do all users have msaccess.exe installed in the same location?

You do need the two backward slashes \\ before the name of the server when using the UNC instead of a fixed drive.

Hi GHudson,

As the users are on a mix of A2000 & A2003, MSAccess is in the different default directories so I have been going to each user and hand rolling the shortcut. All shortcuts start the application and open the database without error messages. Having said that, I may have had some error messages related to this problem that I thought were to do with security. I have become slightly confused over the past couple of weeks.

On my own PC, I created a shortcut to Access, the back end, and the WIF. Again no error messages, the database worked ok but was not joining the wif. This seems to confirm the network addressing is ok or the .mdb would not have been found. I will try the double backslashes anyway - it may be that simple.

Now that I recall, I couldn't get the shortcut meant to reconnect Access to the default WIF to work either, so I don't think my addressing is off as that is on the user PC.

I will probably get the IT dept out to resolve the network permissions problem (see other postings) and take the oportunity to try to get the command line switches working.

I'm not sure what UNC is or means, but I think it is some directory name that is absolute rather than the mapped drive name. All PCs are confugired to map the same drives to the same letters but abbsolute refferences may make certain.

Regards,

Keith.