• Is it OK for multiple front-ends, one per user, to be run from a shared network folder as opposed to local machines?
There is no advantage to doing this and as Doc has pointed out, there are downsides. Having the FE on the network increases the overhead of working with Access. Access has to be loaded into memory on your local computer and parts are swapped into and out of memory as needed. This is more efficient when the FE is local than when the FE is on the LAN. Regardless of whether the FE is local or LAN based, ALL the data still needs to be transported to memory on YOUR computer. With Access, NOTHING happens on the server.
I would prefer the network option because it allows me to create new features and redistribute updated front-ends automatically without emailing individual attachments or personally visiting everyone with a memorystick etc ? Day-to-day, users might not even notice an upgrade has been given.
Take a look at the batch file again. Notice that the FE is always stored in a NETWORK folder. You never email anything to anybody except perhaps mailing a shortcut to a new user the FIRST time he has to access the app. Once the users have the shortcut installed on their desktops, each time they run it, the batch file copies a NEW copy of the master FE to the local drive. I do this for a reason. My choice was not arbitrary. Some people use a database that checks versions and only updates the FE if it is a different version than the BE.
I prefer to download a fresh copy for two reasons.
1. It eliminates any problem with bloat since the new FE is always as small as it can be.
2. I always use querydefs for my queries because I can reuse them and because Access calculates an execution plan the first time a querydef runs and then saves it for future use. Calculating the execution plan is pretty fast so on a one off basis, you would never notice a lag between running a querydef and embedded SQL in your VBA code BUT, if you run queries inside of a loop or multiple times each day, t shaves a tiny bit of time off of the process.
I avoid like the plague pushing out FE or BE updates - especially BE updates, during normal work hours. I only do it if there is an emergency fix required even though the separate FE downloaded to each user's desktop enables me to push out updates during the day. If the change is localized, I usually just send out an email with the information on what was changed and tell the users, if they need the new version to close Access and reopen it. If I need everyone to shut down, I flip a switch that makes everyone log out of the application at a scheduled time and replace the FE during that window. Preferably at lunch time to minimize disruption. IT people spend late nights and weekends doing support work. On more than one occasion, when I was doing mainframe projects, my young daughter spent the night on a sofa in my office or even in the ladies room if my office didn't have anything comfortable to sleep on if my husband wasn't going to be home at the time my team was doing a major install and that always happens during off hours unless there is an emergency.
Making BE changes is always more complicated since the old FE will likely not work with the new BE so your update needs to be more formal. I always do this type of change off hours in the evening or on weekends. Once an application has been in service for a month or so, BE updates are rare and even FE updates are limited unless you started with just a basic version of the app and are adding additional features regularly.
The batch file is a very simple distribution method but I normally include version checks inside the database. There is a local version table in the FE and a separate table in the BE. When the app opens the first thing it does is to compare the two values. If they are different, the app displays a message to open the app using the shortcut and closes. In theory, this check wouldn't be necessary if you could trust users to follow directions. But, sometimes they leave Access open over night or even for a few days so they might have missed an update. Or, they happened to notice the .accdr file in the folder on their PC and open that instead of using the shortcut.