Workgroup locations/sgortcut to db

[PaulJK]

I will have a database running off a small server for a few staff. Staffwill access via office PC's & remote dial in using laptops.

Question1
Should the system.mdw file with the workgroup information be placed on every PC & laptop, as well as in the same server drive as the database? Staff will not use any other Access databases - but this could change in the future.

Question 2
I intended to put a shortcut on everyones desktop & laptop to the database on the server. If the workgroup information file is here, how does Access work. If the staff are already joined to a wrong workgroup on their PC/laptop the database would not open? Would the shortcut to the database see the workgroup next to the database on the server drive? Would the shortcut need to be modified from a straightforward link to the database?

 

[Autoeng]

Your shortcut will need to specify the security file to use. I would put it on the server for access for all. Because you are using dial up access as well as traditional you need to split your database. It is very easy to do by using the wizard. Create a batch file to download the frontend from the server every time someone starts the database and it will be much easier to provide updates. Load the security file on the server in the same directory. (I copied the following from a previous post of mine that details how to set up a server based database).

Link front end to the backend (this is where you will have some work to do with you dial up machines. Do a search for auto linking of tables and build that code into your database. With LAN based machines if you set yours up the correct way you won't have to worry about it as all those machines will be the same. There is a lot of posts concerning setting up security, I urge you to read them. Also, check out Microsoft: Other Topics Faqs on www.Tek-Tips.com for more on the same subject.

Create a batch file to copy the front end from your server to each users machine. Then enter the command to start the database. Distribute the batch file. This way when someone executes the batch file they always get the appropriate front end in the latest revision level. Below is a sample of my batch file.

md "c:\my documents" (I do this because some machines are Win NT and some are Win 2000, if c:\my documents exists it does nothing)
copy s:\everyone\ecndatabase\BereaECN.mdb "c:\my documents\*.*" (this copies my database front end from the server to the users my documents folder)
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" "c:\my documents\BereaECN.mdb" /WRKGRP "s:\everyone\ecndatabase\Secured.mdw" (this starts access, loads the database with the correct security workgroup)

Autoeng