Access and Windows XP (1 Viewer)

[saintsman]

We have recently converted from Office 97 to 2003 and Windows NT4 to XP.

In the old days, when I opened a database up I would use autoexec and the db would open to a particular form. On the windows display it would just show that I had a particular Access database open. On windows XP, if I open the database the same way I get two bars at the bottom of the screen showing the objects and the relevant form. This means that all the design is available for people to see.

I am not that clever to have front and back ends etc, so how do I get it to just display the appropriate query / form / report etc.

I hope that I have made it clear. The XP feature showing how many files you have open is quite handy if you want to look at two Word documents but in Access it allows people to fiddle. If they can't see it they can't fiddle with it.

 

[FoFa]

Security by ignorance, Love it!
Go into Tool/Startup and fiddle in there.
CAUTION, Make a backup copy of the DB before doing this, and fiddle in the backup copy first.

 

[reclusivemonkey]

Options --> View --> Windows in Taskbar

Untick it. Begone fiddlers!!!

 

[saintsman]

Thank you, that'll sort it.

Security is easy if you have been shown how to implement it. Those of us who are self taught struggle sometimes to find the right way to do things which is why a little pointer in the right direction is always appreciated. I'm sure that I could do much more with my databases if I was given the time but my day job comes first. I am considered the Access Guru here, which makes me laugh. I design the databases because I enjoy it, the fact that it makes other peoples lives easier is secondary. I only wish I knew more. I know I would be lost without this site, so thanks again for your help.

 

[ghudson]

That is a machine specific setting. Here is how to do it in VBA to ensure all users of your db see only one window in the task bar related to your db...

Application.SetOption "ShowWindowsinTaskbar", False

Search around the forum for more help for there are other changes you will have to get use to and also program around with Access 2003 when compared to Access 97.

 

[taylorm]

How ironic to run across this posting today! We were recently migrated as well and discovered the same problem only yesterday. I spent yesterday morning Googling and found the following in Microsoft's Knowledge Base.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313915/EN-US

This is a known problem and supposedly is fixed in Service Pack 3 for Microsoft Office XP.

Unfortunately our Security department hasn't yet approved the installation of SP3. So I had implemented the same code that ghudson suggested in an AutoExec macro and it works wonderfully.

 

[ghudson]

How ironic to run across this posting today! We were recently migrated as well and discovered the same problem only yesterday. I spent yesterday morning Googling and found the following in Microsoft's Knowledge Base.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313915/EN-US

This is a known problem and supposedly is fixed in Service Pack 3 for Microsoft Office XP.

Unfortunately our Security department hasn't yet approved the installation of SP3. So I had implemented the same code that ghudson suggested in an AutoExec macro and it works wonderfully.

You have confused your Access XP problem with the Access 2003 "Windows in the Taskbar" issue that this posting is about.

 

[taylorm]

I'm unclear as to why you say I've confused the problems.

The only difference I see is that the originial post was migrating from Access 97 to Access 2003 and we only migrated to Access 2002.

The problem was the same "open the database and get two bars at the bottom of the screen showing the objects and the relevant form. This means that all the design is available for people to see". And the workaround solution was the same, "turn off the Windows in Taskbar" option (either manually on each workstation or programmatically in an AutoExec macro).

I was simply pointing out the article that I had found yesterday that led me to that workaround that also included the comment "to resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Office XP."

What am I missing?

I just looked at the article again and saw that it does specify that it applies to Access 2002, but doesn't mention Access 2003. Is that it?

 

[ghudson]

The KB 313915 article you mentioned is referencing the problem with displaying the database window. There is a built-in start up command that displays it or hides it depending on how you have it set.

Here is a separate VBA command for doing just that...

'Hide the database window
DoCmd.SelectObject acTable, , True
DoCmd.RunCommand acCmdWindowHide

'Unhide the database window
DoCmd.SelectObject acTable, , True

This command will prevent the db from opening up a separate window tab on the Taskbar...
Application.SetOption "ShowWindowsinTaskbar", False

I have more commands listed in this thread...
Hide all Access Toolbars and Menubars

Maybe I am confused but the above appears to be two separate issues. As long as you know what you are doing then that is what matters. I just did not want anybody else to get confused if they were to find this thread.

 

[taylorm]

I see what you were thinking. But I think it actually is part of the same issue. I believe the bug described in the article is with the "built-in start up command that displays it or hides it depending on how you have it set". I wasn't complete in the explanation of the history of my issue.

We had the "Display Database Window" option in the Startup form unchecked, but it began showing the database window anyway alongside our specified startup form. This only started after we migrated to Access 2002 and Windows XP (from Access 97 and Windows NT 4.0). Since saintsman indicated that his database had previously opened directly to a particular form and had only begun the issue of the second window after his migration, I was assuming his problem had originated in the same manner as mine. I bet he had the "Display Database Window" option unchecked as well and couldn't figure out why it was no longer working.

Thanks for your reply.