updating Access forms while other users are in DB

[kidrobot]

Every time i need to change DB (forms, queries etc), I always ask users to close the application and sometimes it continues to hang even if no one has it open. I wonder if there is an option to open the application with exclusive rights for updates, even while other users are logged in?

 

[boblarson]

Yeah, it's called Split the database and give each user a copy of the frontend. Then you can develop to your hearts content and deploy. In fact you could use my frontend auto update enabling tool to enable auto updating of the frontend so that you make changes to your master and then change the version number in two tables (one in frontend and one in backend) from the frontend master. Then, the next time your user opens their frontend, it will check the versions and if they do not match it will tell the user that their frontend is out of date, close, delete the old file, copy the new file from the network master location, and then automatically reopen.

You can find it (and the documentation - read carefully) here:
http://www.btabdevelopment.com/main/MyFreeAccessTools/tabid/78/Default.aspx

 

[kidrobot]

Bob thanks for the reply. Is there any other way to do this by setting permissions perhaps? Or giving certain users exclusive rights?

 

[boblarson]

Nope - sorry. Plus I can't overemphasize that you are really going to hate it when the db corrupts and it will. It isn't a matter of IF, but a matter of WHEN, if you are using this in a multiuser situation and all are using a single frontend or single full db from a network location. It just is that simple.

So as the old Fram Oil Filter commercials used to say - "You can pay me now, or pay me later." Better to do some good work up front to ensure the survival of your system than to "hope" that it never has a problem.

 

[kidrobot]

Bob, I am very close to getting this to work. Although, I believe when I my database is trying to renew itself i get a runtime error 5 and the error points to the "Shell TestFile"

 

[boblarson]

Did you make sure that the name of the master file is the exact same name that is on the user machine? The code deletes the existing file and goes to find a copy of the master under the same name as the old file name.

Also, in your master location table did you make sure to put ONLY the path with no slash at the end and no file name?

 

[kidrobot]

Ok, I think I found the problem. I was trying to test all of this all on my desktop. So I moved the MDE file onto my network. Although after the program closed it self it gave an error that said "Windows cannot find 'I:\jp\monthly.mde'. Make sure you type the name correctly....."

 

[boblarson]

So, do you have a master named monthly.mde on the network at the I:\jp folder?

 

[kidrobot]

i have the master front end on my desktop, named monthly.mdb... i have the mde on the network (monthly.mde)

 

[kidrobot]

Also, in your program. On the second set of instructions I believe #3 should say Front-end instead of Back-end

 

[boblarson]

Also, in your program. On the second set of instructions I believe #3 should say Front-end instead of Back-end

In the documentation word document or the instruction form in the Auto Update Enabler?

 

[boblarson]

Also, try using the UNC path instead of the drive letter. It has been a while since I dug into the thing but I think it is using NetUse for the command code for copying and if you give it a letter it then might be trying to assign the letter to another letter like:

B:\I:\jp\monthly.mde

So, if you use UNC it might help. Let me know if that works as I'll need to change the documentation about that.

 

[kidrobot]

Bob, thanks for the help. I got it to work using .mdb rather .mde... I guess it couldn't find the .mde file.

In my other post I was referring to the instructions on the Auto Enabler Form.