You can't exit Microsoft Access now.

[DatabaseTash]

I have just rolled out a new version of our database and one user is getting the following error. Any ideas why they would be the only one who is getting the error? I have tried reloading a copy onto their computer, but I get the same error.

Your can't exit Microsoft Access now.
If you're running a Visual Basic module that is using OLE or DDE, you may need to interrupt the module.

 

[Deleted member 147267]

I know of no other reason other than a procedure has been left hanging. If this is in a network environment (LAN) figure out if it's the user or pc - have them log onto yours (then it's probably person related) and you onto theirs (then it's probably pc related). If person, it could be their network folder permissions or trusted location settings. If pc, perhaps project references are not correct for their pc.

Sometimes you can raise a break in code by setting the option to break on all errors, but I think not if it's an accde file.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

In general, this happens when an exit is disallowed for consistency reasons. I don't recall how you get this way but there is a thing called "process rundown" that occurs when you are trying to close a process (task, session thread) and you cannot.

Process rundown requires the closing process to release resources by closing files and releasing locks and releasing allocated resources back to the O/S. But if for some reason that can't happen, then the process cannot complete the rundown. It almost ALWAYS is related to an incomplete operation - which includes things you didn't finish and things that you CANNOT finish because a cooperating process has to let go of you first.

Unfortunately, there are myriads of reasons for this type of rundown problem and I know that I don't know anywhere near all of them. If you search for the error "You can't exit Microsoft Access now" you will find dozens of reports of this problem going back not less than seven years and maybe a lot more. (I gave up looking at them all once I saw how many there were.)

Not a lot of solutions in what I found, but the MSDN.SOCIAL site had a couple and the MS engineers actually were able to reproduce the error. They just couldn't figure out what was causing it. I know that is no help to you, but look at it this way - you are not alone.

 

[DatabaseTash]

Thank you Micron, that will give me some things to try. Now that you say that he did get a message about trusted location, which we answered yes to. I wonder if it is the trusted location settings.

 

[DatabaseTash]

Thank you The Doc Man. I see want you mean about there being many reasons. I also did a search and gave up which is why I thought I would ask here.

Thank you for your response.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

The biggest problem is USUALLY something that you have opened cooperatively. The discussions frequently talk about OLE or other connection methods that implicitly open something else. For instance, OLE objects implicitly open the utility normally used for that object. OLDB connections open a database through a driver that requires protocols.

The truth is that Access can even do damage to itself by exiting when you have linked (and shared) native-Access back-ends, though in that case the file system lets go easier than some things. In that case, you can exit but you damage the file, which leads to the dreaded "corrupt" error messages.

So in your case I might look to situations where you opened something external to Access. It might be implicit like an OLE action, but it might also be an explicit application object. If you have anything like that, be sure that you close what you open before attempting the exit.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Any time ONE user has an odd issue that other users don't have, I start with references. If you distribute an .accdb, this is pretty easy. If you don't distribute an .accdb, you might want to install one on this user's PC just so you can debug it. Open the References and look for something MISSING.

 

[Deleted member 147267]

Any time ONE user has an odd issue that other users don't have, I start with references. If you distribute an .accdb, this is pretty easy. If you don't distribute an .accdb, you might want to install one on this user's PC just so you can debug it. Open the References and look for something MISSING.

That's what I said

If pc, perhaps project references are not correct for their pc.

but I guess you said it better.

 

[Pat Hartman]

@Micron,
To be perfectly honest, I completely missed your suggestion or I would have referenced it. Our opinion on the importance of checking references differs though. I check them first and your suggestion was an afterthought. I actually had to reread your post twice because I kept skipping over it. It is the "oneness" of the problem that points to something environmental and references fits that bill.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

The other thing that fits the "oneness" criterion is permissions, since permission profiles depend very much on the environment (and the persnickety nature of IT security shops).

 

[gemma-the-husky]

if I have an autoexec macro that runs a startup function, eg to test and fix data connections, and THEN open the startup form - if you decide to cancel the start up in the middle, you will get this warning, because you are breaking the autoexec function code. I have to stop the macros and then close the database. (or I can application.quit, which just closes without warning)

That's the sort of thing that can give the message. Could that be happening?

 

[DatabaseTash]

if I have an autoexec macro that runs a startup function, eg to test and fix data connections, and THEN open the startup form - if you decide to cancel the start up in the middle, you will get this warning, because you are breaking the autoexec function code. I have to stop the macros and then close the database. (or I can application.quit, which just closes without warning)

That's the sort of thing that can give the message. Could that be happening?

Thanks Gemma-The-Husky
I do have an auto-update that runs on start up. That could be it. I will have a look. Thank you

 

[DatabaseTash]

Any time ONE user has an odd issue that other users don't have, I start with references. If you distribute an .accdb, this is pretty easy. If you don't distribute an .accdb, you might want to install one on this user's PC just so you can debug it. Open the References and look for something MISSING.

What do you mean by references? Can you give me an example please?

 

[Deleted member 147267]

In the code editor you click Tools > References and look at the list. Any that are checked are likely being used by the project. Some are mandatory and you can't uncheck them. Any that were set elsewhere (i.e. some other pc) but can't be resolved for whatever reason, are prefaced with MISSING. If you don't know how to open the vbe, Ctrl+g is one way.

 

[DatabaseTash]

Awesome thanks. I will give it a go.

 

[DatabaseTash]

Seem to have sorted it out. I thought I would try deleting the copy from the PC for the fourth time, hoping that the break/restart over the weekend may have helped. Now it is working beautifully! Thank you all for the suggestions. I have picked up some extra bonus knowledge.

Thank you all