If you have a networking environment you can let your users open the database from a shared location. No synchronization at all. However, the down side of this is the need to set up workgroups to enforce the sharing.
Issues in taking this approach:
1. Users need rights to the shared directory. They will have to be able to create and delete files, modify files, read files, update files, etc. (The files they MIGHT create or delete would be .LDB files used for file locking purposes.)
2. You need to read up on workgroup security to see how to set up protection on certain things you want to protect.
3. If you DO take this approach, try to divide your users into functional groups - i.e. read-only, can add data, can change data, can remove data, etc. Define some groups with convenient names for these functions. Then when you add users, assign them to groups as needed. A user can be in more than one group so there is no problem here.
4. Don't name your workgroup file SYSTEM.MDW - name it something else. Anything else. Put IT in the shared directory too.
5. Access workgroups include default groups Admins and Users as well as default user Admin. (No 's' on the username.) Not only that, you cannot get rid of them. But you CAN control them. So this is what you do.
DO NOT ASSIGN ANYONE TO THESE GROUPS. Build your own group that has full admin rights. Build your own separate admin account. Assign it to your admin group. Then revoke all rights except perhaps Read-Only to both Admins group and Users group. (Or take away all rights completely.) This will block depredation caused by folks who don't bother to join the workgroup first.
