View who is in the DB

[musclecarlover07]

In excel, when you have a shared document you are able to see who all has the databse open and have the ability to kick someone out. Is there a way this can be done in Access. When I need to update a drop down box or make some other changes I need for everyone to be out. The problem is when people leave to go to appointments or lunch they dont close out of the database. So I would need the ability to kick someone out when needed.

 

[boblarson]

When I need to update a drop down box or make some other changes I need for everyone to be out.

This tells me that you have not correctly set up your database for shared access. It should NOT be a single MDB/ACCDB file. But it should be SPLIT into a backend (tables only) and a frontend(the rest) and EACH USER should have THEIR OWN COPY of the frontend which means that you can do whatever development work you want whenever (except if you have backend stuff to do).

So, then if you use something like the free auto update enabling tool I have on my website, you can make your changes, change the version number and the next time the user opens their database they will get the message that their frontend is out of date, it closes, deletes itself, copies the new file down to their machine and reopens automatically. You can find the auto update enabling tool here:
http://www.btabdevelopment.com/ts/freetools

And you should read this about splitting the database:

http://www.kallal.ca/Articles/split/index.htm

It will also help protect you against corruption and if one person's frontend goes corrupt, you can just replace it for them and the others aren't stuck waiting to use the database as they can continue as normal even if someone else has a corrupt frontend and can't do their work. As it is now, if it goes down, you may lose data, or the whole thing and nobody can do their work until it is fixed.

 

[musclecarlover07]

Re: View wh is in the DB

Ok so far splitting the DB makes sense. So just to make sure I'm doing this right, Im using a test DB until I get right and use it on the live copy. Too much data to lose on trying something new.

I didnt actually see create a .mde. I saw Make ACCDE. I read up and saw they appear to be the same thing. I saw a post you had in achived bout compiling the code an make sure there was no errors. It was a success. So the file that is .accde will be the one file everyone else will use? Then the .accdb would be the backend?

 

[boblarson]

Ok so far splitting the DB makes sense. So just to make sure I'm doing this right, Im using a test DB until I get right and use it on the live copy. Too much data to lose on trying something new.

I didnt actually see create a .mde. I saw Make ACCDE. I read up and saw they appear to be the same thing. I saw a post you had in achived bout compiling the code an make sure there was no errors. It was a success. So the file that is .accde will be the one file everyone else will use? Then the .accdb would be the backend?

Making an accde is not splitting the database. And you don't need to make an accde for this.

This has instructions on how to split:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304932

 

[musclecarlover07]

So if i have to upload documents from an outside soure i would just upload them to the backend right? Im pretty sure you would but I want to check for sure an eliminate any possiabilites... I ran in to an error but i sorta jus rushed through it. When i have time to actually sit down and go throught it slowly i will perfect. But thanks. I got the db split an it looks like its working fine an all.

 

[boblarson]

You are storing documents actually in the database as attachments?

If so, it can be done through the frontend just as it could be done before. Linked Access tables are just like if they were local tables (with a few minor differences we won't go into now).

 

[musclecarlover07]

I just click import excel an then click the append table that i need to follow the steps. any primary key violations are lost an I go on to the next import. I have 5 excel spreadsheets to upload. Again thanks for the previous help. I like this way much better. My FE is so much smaller. When I get the auto update to work properly that will be so beneficial. Something is always changing. I mean little things like options in the dropdowns an all. Right now its a pain trying to get everyone out at the same time. I wish I knew bout this earlier an all.

 

[Adam Caramon]

With a split db, the back end is where the tables "live". Each front end has links to the back end tables. So each copy of the front end is accessing the same tables.

If you import data from an excel sheet into a table via your copy of the front end, you're adding it to the actual table.

So, you can do your imports into the linked tables in your copy of the front end, the back end is automatically updated, and you're good to go.

 

[musclecarlover07]

Ok I tried using the auto update tool. It doesnt let me link the version tables. It wont let me link any tables from the back end. I tried recreating the back end again an still not letting me link the version tables. How to I go about resolving this issue.

 

[boblarson]

Ok I tried using the auto update tool. It doesnt let me link the version tables. It wont let me link any tables from the back end. I tried recreating the back end again an still not letting me link the version tables. How to I go about resolving this issue.

From the frontend you need to go use the GET DATA tab and then select the backend which then you need to select the new version table which is in there. You can't just use linked table manager as it hasn't existed as a link before. So, once you have that linked then that part is done.

 

[musclecarlover07]

Ok so I got all the tables linked. I then click the Make ACCDE. I dont get the Make MDE. So I changed the version date in both the FE and BE DB. Im taking when I open the created file that is what is being distrbuted. When I open the created DB nothing happens. Im not sure what I did wrong.

 

[boblarson]

Did you CAREFULLY and FULLY read the entire Word documentation that is on the same page as the auto updater you downloaded?

 

[musclecarlover07]

Ok so I got it to do the check. But then when I test it out and change the version number in the Front-End and the Back-End it does the check but the says it cant find SITMasterFe.accde. Do I need to Make MDE everytime I make and update?

 

[boblarson]

Ok so I got it to do the check. But then when I test it out and change the version number in the Front-End and the Back-End it does the check but the says it cant find SITMasterFe.accde. Do I need to Make MDE everytime I make and update?

What needs to happen is the master file should have the EXACT SAME NAME as the file that is on the users' computers. So, if the name is SIT.accde then the file in the master location needs to be named SIT.accde. You save a real Master copy of your database (the one you will work on and then copy over to the "Master" location) somewhere other than in that "Master" location.

 

[musclecarlover07]

Ok I am still getting an error. I have the following files an thier locations
SITMaster1BE.accdb on a shared network
SITMaster1FE.accdb on my decktop to make changes
SITMasrer1FE.accde For everyone to use.
When a user goes to open the .accde it gives the error saying that the file directory for SITMaster1BE.accdb is invalid. But I used the folder option on the auto update an I navigated to the folder an the network where the Back-end is. How do I fix this?

 

[boblarson]

Ok I am still getting an error. I have the following files an thier locations
SITMaster1BE.accdb on a shared network
SITMaster1FE.accdb on my decktop to make changes
SITMasrer1FE.accde For everyone to use.
When a user goes to open the .accde it gives the error saying that the file directory for SITMaster1BE.accdb is invalid. But I used the folder option on the auto update an I navigated to the folder an the network where the Back-end is. How do I fix this?

That doesn't sound like the auto update problem. The location of the backend is not used by the database enabling tool EXCEPT to insert the one table (I think it's one, it could be two) into the backend. After that, it is all about the frontend. The table from the backend which the enabling tool inserted needs to be linked to the frontend FROM THE FRONTEND. And that is a manual process which you should have done when you opened the frontend for the first time after enabling it. But you have to open the frontend while holding shift so that the code didn't run until you had everything set up (I assume you did this).

So, what it appears to be is that the frontend file can't find the backend, which might mean you moved the backend AFTER linking the tables. Did you link them while the backend was on the network share in its current location?