Automating FE updates (1 Viewer)

[zeroaccess]

In my case, the copy is done in 1 second, so users don't see anything. I understand some apps are much larger and would show the minimized window on the task bar. There is a way to hide even that, though I haven't needed to look into it yet.

 

[shadow9449]

...it looks more professional than showing a command window or vbscript. However, each to their own, all methods work.

Using the vbscript to call the .bat means that the user just double clicks a desktop shortcut and in a few seconds the app launches. The don't need to know that the script calls a .bat that connects to the drive, and transfers the file. Nothing launches other than the app itself.

 

[deletedT]

..........would show the minimized window on the task bar.

I show the cmd window with normal window size while updating. My FE is 78MB and there was cases the users had no idea what's happening and in the middle of updating, they double clicked the FE once again. It made windows stop overwriting the file and show an Error message. Users closed the error and tried to open FE, but the file was half over written and hence corrupt.
Showing them the cmd window and a message wait while updating solved the problem.

 

[isladogs]

As I said before, each to their own. All methods work.
I partly decided on my approach because my largest FE is 150MB and typically additional files are copied to each workstation along with that.
Even so, using a Windows API for file copy, the download only takes a few seconds.
During that time a Windows progress indicator is shown so users are aware what's happening.

 

[spudracer]

All excellent tips. Haven’t had a chance to work on it at all, but this has definitely pointed me in the right direction.

Only thing I can think of that could be an issue with pushing a new version every time is that the local admin might choose to install the update at the same time a user would be going to open their desktop version. Leading to the desktop user getting the update file before the admin has a chance to run the update tool.

Now that I think about it, I can make the update a separate process that simply copies over the network file after the fact which would prevent the issue I just described.

 

[zeroaccess]

All excellent tips. Haven’t had a chance to work on it at all, but this has definitely pointed me in the right direction.

Only thing I can think of that could be an issue with pushing a new version every time is that the local admin might choose to install the update at the same time a user would be going to open their desktop version. Leading to the desktop user getting the update file before the admin has a chance to run the update tool.

Now that I think about it, I can make the update a separate process that simply copies over the network file after the fact which would prevent the issue I just described.

The copy is initiated by the user - their shortcut points to the .bat or .vbs file rather than the actual DB. The last line of the file starts the database.

 

[zeroaccess]

Here is my .bat file, if anyone is interested.

    REM        This batch file copies the xyz client from the network location
    REM        ... and starts the program.
    
If not exist "%userprofile%\Work Folders\Documents\xyz\" Then
    MKDIR "%userprofile%\Work Folders\Documents\xyz\"

    COPY "\\networkdrive\folder\xyz\fe\xyz.accde" "%userprofile%\Work Folders\Documents\xyz\xyz.accde"

    START "MSAccess.exe" "%userprofile%\Work Folders\Documents\xyz\xyz.accde"
    
    EXIT