In over my head with Linked Tables!!

[Chedmeister]

Hi guys, I have a customer who has asked me to solve a problem with his Access database. The employee who authored it is long gone and the 'redesign' of his company relies on this issue being solved.

He has this moderately complicated database that he wants to keep on a server and have network computers connect to it using a mapped drive. This would be fine if the DB was a single file but instead its one DB with many other linked DB files (linked tables) attached to it. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that this causes the remote computer to look for the linked tables on ITS OWN hdd and not the servers.

So is there a way to work it so he can do what he wants or do I have to find a way of incorporating all those linked tables into the main database file?

Hope someone can help!

[RuralGuy]

Is the application split to FrontEnd and BackEnd and do all of the users have their own copy of the FrontEnd on their machine?

[Chedmeister]

Thanks for the reply!

No, the DB is a single .accdb with tables and forms which is linked to many other linked tables that all sit in another folder in another location on the drive, so no back/front end.

[RayMilhon]

The definition of a frontend/backend DB is all of the forms, queries, macros, reports, code is in 1 database and all of the tables(data) is in another database linked to the first one. Your description sounds like it is a frontend/backend. I'm curious why you say it's not? are there tables in the front end? Are the linked tables in 1 DB or several? Try Re-linking the tables using the URL. Check the linked table manager are the linked tables in the format "T:\dtafiles\somefile.accdb" Or are they in the format \\serverone\dtafiles\somefile.accdb If they are in the first format relink them using the second. As not every user may have That folder mapped as T:

[Chedmeister]

Ok, no biggy. I just put the main DB and the collection of linked tables in their own folders and shared them on the network. Then I replaced all the filepath's within the' linked table manager' with the new network path. it didn't work before because all the files were on one local drive before the links were all local too.
Simple now I know!

I do have one other issue though. Because the database will now be available to many people instead of one is there a way that I can lock access to it if another user already has it open?

(Sorry if I was confusing earlier!)

[RayMilhon]

You can open access in 2 different ways Shared and Exclusive. I believe you can set that in the database properties but I've never used it and am not 100% sure where it is. Also it may vary depending on which version again I'm not sure.

[Chedmeister]

Ok, thanks loads for your help!