Windows 7 Microsoft Access 2007 Read only

[Kaver Keith]

I had to move everything to a new laptop and at the same time go from Windows XP to Windows 7 64b. I have licensed copies of Office 2007 and Access 2007. When I open a database it opens as read only and many items are greyed out. It says that I must have a licensed copy of Office to use the grewyed out functions. I even tried uninstalling Access to reinstall, but it says that it can't find Access to uninstall it. I did a repair on Access which went successfully. I also uninstalled Office and reinstalled it. Someone suggested that it might be a Windows Registry problem. I'm stuck.

 

[Vassago]

Try to take ownership of it. It might be Windows 7 security thing.

http://tipsandtricksforpc.com/2010/03/how-to-take-ownership-of-files-and-folders/

 

[boblarson]

When you installed, did you make sure it went in the Program Files (x86) folder?

 

[Kaver Keith]

I just use the default folder that the installation program places the programs, so I assume that both Office and Access are in the Program Files (x86) folder. In XP I could figure out where executable files were located. I haven't figured that out in Windows 7. But I did find FrontPage in the Program Files (x86) folder. At least its executable makes sense.

I think that it is telling that the uninstall program can't find Access to uninstall it. It says Setup Error. It can't find the program to install. (Yes the error message says "install" rather than uninstall.)

I have ownership of the files. I just checked that.

I just finished running a Windows Registry cleaner which found a lot of garbage. But it didn't help with my particular problem.

 

[boblarson]

Just an FYI - Registry cleaners are more often than not, JUNK and will cause you more pain and suffering than the stuff they claim to clean up.

Anyway, you might try reinstalling Office and select the REPAIR feature when you run the disc.

 

[Kaver Keith]

I recently uninstalled Office (Access is a separate install) and reinstalled it. And I already repaired Access. I can't reinstall it since it's already installed so Repair is the only option that makes sense.

BTW I am aware of the reputation for Registry cleaners, but I'm grasping at straws. I used Advanced SystemCare which PC World seemed to like.

If I knew the registry I'd even try to remove Microsoft Access from it, then try to reinstall.

 

[boblarson]

Is your Access 2007 part of Office (Office Professional, Office Ultimate, Office Enterprise)? Or is it a stand alone app that you've installed along with Office 2007 Standard, or Home and Office?

If it is a stand-alone app, did you make sure to Activate it as well, because just because you activated the rest of Office, doesn't mean that Access is activated as well (if it is a stand alone app). Also, if you do have it as a stand alone app, where did you purchase it? The key may be returing that it is an invalid key when trying to activate.

 

[Kaver Keith]

I was using Office Enterprise but originally I didn't install Access that way. I installed Access from my other disk. Anyway things got messed up.

For some reason the registry got corrupted.

First I uninstalled Office by using the Control Panel, then I went through the manual process to uninstall Office including Access that was explained in detail at Microsoft support. What a tedious job to uninstall Office manually. There were multiple occurrences of Access in the registry.

After I got everything uninstalled, I then installed everything including Access from the Enterprise disk.

The good news is that it appears to be working OK.

Now I have to try to find three missing dlls having to do with VB that I use with Access.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I tried everything you suggested.