Access Screen Freezes then the forms don't work

[TheEvilBankers]

This happened yesterday at work.

The access form froze and they could do other things but Access remained frozen. They logged off and when they went back in Access opened but none of the form buttons or links were working.

The database is not split because it is used only by one station at a time.

Has this happened to anyone and does anyone know the cause?

Five people were trying to fix it when I walked into work (5 people who no nothing about Access other than using that one database) and I couldn't get a straight answer.

Thanks
Kim

 

[RuralGuy]

Hi Kim,

You may have to supply just a tad more information before someone can answer. Is this an MDB or MDE? Can you make it work? Do you have security defined and enabled? What version of Access and what OS? There, that's a start.

 

[TheEvilBankers]

Sorry about that...was trying to get the question done before running to a meeting to discuss the issue.
Access: Created in 2000 but we are currently using Access 2003.

It is a MDB. The only way to make it work was to go in and delete the old buttons and links and redo them with the original names. Then reconnect to the old events. With this application they needed it right away so we just pull a backup and transferred the critical tables to the backup copy.

We don't have security defined with the database because we have a secure system which only our department and IT can access in a secure building, which was another groups idea but is in the process of being changed.

We also tried compacting and repairing the database and no go. It is like someone took a sword and cut all the ties that connected the forms to the tables and queries.

K

 

[The_Doc_Man]

If anyone in your Windows user group of five or so people can touch the DB but you don't have Access security defined via Workgroups, you might be running into a file sharing issue. Without workgroups, you always come in as Access account Admin, which by default has OpenExclusive permission and rights to everything. I can imagine a series of events in which all objects get locked because the previous incarnation of Admin didn't close things correctly.

Look in the folder where the MDB resides to see if you have an LDB file dangling even though no one is currently logged in. (Or at least no one THINKS they are logged in.)

 

[RuralGuy]

It sounds like you use this in multi-user mode but the db is not split into a FrontEnd and BackEnd. You might try doing some of these tasks Allen Browne has described here: http://allenbrowne.com/ser-47.html

 

[TheEvilBankers]

I know when the last person that was in charge of this particular database tried to split it, she was reduced to tears...and not the happy kind. Which is why it probably not got split.

They never had problems with the database until we were refreshed in May then its been slowly building up to what happened yesterday. What is funny is all the problems are happening in the databases that were built by someone else. The ones I have done since taking over have not had problems beyond the user.

Thanks for the help RJ and Doc. This database got moved to the top to be redone and I am going to keep your suggestions and comments in mind in the rebuild.



K