MS Access Database and Windows 11 Update error

[EAAH]

I have been using an Access Database over the years until I recently upgraded to Windows 11 and I am encountering the below error message:
The Access database is password protected and therefore I cannot make any changes and have no clue who the author is. Is there a way to resolve this incompatibility error without the password?

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Your question places US in a difficult situation.

When you upgraded to Win11, did you also upgrade the version of Office? More significantly, did you change from 32-bit Office to 64-bit Office? Because one possible "gotcha" on that upgrade is "bitness incompatibility." Another is that even if you didn't change "bitness", maybe you DID change versions of Access, and that has the potential to change libraries. If you are missing a library, then you could EASILY get a compile error because of something not being properly defined.

The difficult situation is a legal issue. We cannot help you "crack" encryption on a DB if you cannot prove you own it. There are various legal issues including criminal liability for theft of services. You have to be able to decrypt the DB in order to fix the problem if it is bitness or if it is an updated library. We would need to see EXACTLY what is failing. And that, you can't do with an encrypted DB.

 

[Gasman]

I am with Doc on this one. Revert back to 32bit Access.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I am with Doc on this one. Revert back to 32bit Access.

IF that was a bitness issue. But if it was like, say, an LTSC Office changing to Office365, there might be more to it than that.

 

[EAAH]

Your question places US in a difficult situation.

When you upgraded to Win11, did you also upgrade the version of Office? More significantly, did you change from 32-bit Office to 64-bit Office? Because one possible "gotcha" on that upgrade is "bitness incompatibility." Another is that even if you didn't change "bitness", maybe you DID change versions of Access, and that has the potential to change libraries. If you are missing a library, then you could EASILY get a compile error because of something not being properly defined.

The difficult situation is a legal issue. We cannot help you "crack" encryption on a DB if you cannot prove you own it. There are various legal issues including criminal liability for theft of services. You have to be able to decrypt the DB in order to fix the problem if it is bitness or if it is an updated library. We would need to see EXACTLY what is failing. And that, you can't do with an encrypted DB.

I had Microsoft 365 running on windows 10 and the Access Database was fine until the upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 happened. What do i need to do then?

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Unfortunately, if what got you was the upgrade from Win10 to Win11, that is likely to be irreversible. A simple patch can usually be reversed, but that O/S upgrade doesn't qualify as "a simple patch."

You will need to find out where you got that DB and see if anyone is still able to do maintenance on it. Based on legal issues, we are somewhat stymied. Sorry that it doesn't help you,but we have our limits when it comes to legalities.

 

[Gasman]

I had Microsoft 365 running on windows 10 and the Access Database was fine until the upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 happened. What do i need to do then?

No chance of going back to 10, or trying it on another computer with 10?

 

[cheekybuddha]

I had Microsoft 365 running on windows 10 and the Access Database was fine until the upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 happened. What do i need to do then?

First check whether the version of Access running on your Win11 computer is 32bit or 64bit.

If it is 64bit, and you need it to be 32bit then you can change it.

 

[DickyP]

As I read all these posts about 365 and Win 11 can anyone think of a real reason to 'upgrade'?

 

[EAAH]

No chance of going back to 10, or trying it on another computer with 10?

It does work on another computer with Windows 10. We all will eventually upgrade to Windows 11, unfortunately my computer was in the first wave of the upgrade.

 

[Gasman]

I am sorry. I do not have a clue what it might be. I upgraded to win11 with 2007, no issues. Then upgraded Access to 2019, again without any issues.

 

[cheekybuddha]

Did you check whether the new machine's Access is 32bit or 64bit?

Also check what it is on the win 10 machines

 

[Gasman]

My understanding now is the computer was upgraded in place?
Can the O/P confirm this is the case?

 

[cheekybuddha]

My understanding now is the computer was upgraded in place?

Remember, corporate upgrades can often mean re-imaging the machine and then re-downloading profiles etc.

 

[Gasman]

I hardly ever worked in a corporate environment and coded at the same time.
I understand your point. Up to the O/P to confirm or deny, as original statement is unclear, if that is the case?

 

[The_Doc_Man]

MS offered a Win11 upgrade-in-place but they ALWAYS warn that things might not be the same even after an upgrade-in-place. If the system was re-imaged, there is a very good chance that reversal is impossible.

There are two possible paths here.

First, attempt to re-install the version of Office you were using. Be VERY sure to check whether it is a 32-bit or 64-bit version on the working Win10 machines, because you want the same version and same bitness on Win11 that was on Win10.

Second, from Start (lower left button) >> Settings >> Windows Update, on that update page look around for the link to Update History. See if there was an Office update listed that corresponds to the time your machine stopped working correctly. If so, see if you can roll back that update. Unfortunately, past a certain time limit they cannot be rolled back because the update files expire. If you've had TWO Office updates since the problem started, then that's going to be a serious problem.

 

[cheekybuddha]

First, attempt to re-install the version of Office you were using.

First just check whether bitness is the issue, or whether it's something else - no point reinstalling office if something else is the issue.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

First just check whether bitness is the issue, or whether it's something else - no point reinstalling office if something else is the issue.

I was considering the possibility that if the machine WASN'T updated in-place but rather was re-imaged, then there could be a version discrepancy (AS WELL AS a bitness mismatch) because when they installed Win11, the version of Office/Access might have changed as well. Trying to get back to an apples-to-apples comparison.

 

[Jacob]

To all who may concen

I just clean installed Win 11, and download and install office (including) MS Access. I have had problems coming from all directions, it will take all day to tell you of all the problems but I'll describe some of them.

But first What I had:
2 Mac Computers (iMac & MacBook Pro, MBP for short) running MS Access on Windows 10 and connected in a local network - both computers (on the Windows side) mirror each other - All Access DB reside in a folder "Access/Databases/".

In addition I have a Windows partition in each computer, that hold, among other things, 3 sequential backups of one critical database, that is used daily, by overwriting the oldest backup. I normally work on the iMac and once a week I sync the databases & and the Windows partiotions once a week (or just before I travel when I take the laptop with me and syncronise them when I get back).
I been doing it for about 8 years without any problems whatsoever until last week when I decided to move to Windows 11 in preparation for the end of support for Windows 10 in October.

To say that it was unmitigated disaster is an understatement! Insofar as Access is concerned:

1. All the databases are "Protected" after I removed their "Read Only" marks (Access can still write into them) but they cannot be synchronised,
meaning I cannot back them up. Perhaps Microsoft want us all on OneDrive (it is a no no as far as I am concerned).

2. I cannot use the keypad in Access only (works OK in Windows when I put my Pin Number on login). It dramatically slows the input process).

3. I cannot create a local network between the computer (I can reach the laptop by creating a connection using the internal IP address which is router depended (When I change to a router that has Internal IP address (e.g. 168.192.??.??) I will have to change the connection.

4. Notwithstanding, one database somehow manged to get onto the laptop but it cannot be opened by Windows 10. IOW Windows 11 IS NOT DOWNWARD COMPATIBLE!!!

5. During installation of Windows 11 the program asked for my password again an again but did not recognise my user name and/or my (correct) password forcing me to reset it until finally it blocked my account for.... "too many resets".

Microsoft was successful in one aspect, they made Windows 11 so "secure" that even the users cannot access it :-(

Although normally I don't need it, I called on outside help to reinstall Windows 11 which was accomplished but did nothing to resolve my Access problems as I subsequently have found out.

Seeing that I wasted a lots of time (and money) on Windows 11, I decided to cut my losses and go back to WINDOWS 10 - at least I know (or hope) it works. I will my chances when Microsoft "retires" (what a joke) Windows 10.

Best regards
Jacob

 

[Cotswold]

All very worrying. A total nightmare. Quite possibly resulting in a solutionless issue gifted by MS that, they will have no desire to fix.
The bad news is that Windows12 is around the corner, which will be the first AI managed OS experiment. Can't wait
Mind you, I've had the general impression that Win11 was a stop-gap income generator between 10 and their delayed AI dreams. I haven't noticed any benefit in Win11 over Win10. Just a few pointless screen changes and irritating adjustments in use.

I will say that EAAH is sailing close to the wind with what appears to be an essential application that is unsupported and unable to be amended.
Surely someone in the company, past, or present knows where it was purchased from?
Maybe the only solution is a software re-write? On the plus side with that solution, the BE data design is all sorted. Then he could stick with WIn10 until the new FE is complete.