How To Make DB Available To Multiple Users?

[AccessN00b]

I'm new at this so this may just be ignorance on my part but I anticipate two problems:

1) Access Runtime gives you limited choices for your root install directory and they all involve your OS HDD which in most cases is C:\. Well that's no good if you want to install this on a shared network drive somewhere for everyone to use. How does one get around this?

2) The DB I've built includes the ability to update the table via a form. What happens when more then one user tries to update the table at the same time?

[AccessN00b]

Well looks like I found an answer to question 2 at least
https://www.accessforums.net/showthr...multiple-users

[winterh]

I have just done the same thing, I have around 10 to 15 users accessing the database at any one time within a shared link to the database but the problem I found was if all the users are on the database at the same time performance drops and the possabitly of data corruption goes up.

The way I got around this was to split the front end from the back end which makes the thing a little safer and means ever user has a front end on the pc so only traffic is just for data which is a lot less.

Hope this helps a little

[AccessN00b]

I have just done the same thing, I have around 10 to 15 users accessing the database at any one time within a shared link to the database but the problem I found was if all the users are on the database at the same time performance drops and the possabitly of data corruption goes up.

The way I got around this was to split the front end from the back end which makes the thing a little safer and means ever user has a front end on the pc so only traffic is just for data which is a lot less.

Hope this helps a little

Presumably you installed the backend on a network drive? How did you do that because it seems like the Access Runtime Package Installer insists on defining the installation path as one's C drive.

[winterh]

I am running access 2010 and it has a wizard which did the split, not sure about 2007.

When I done the split I put the backend on my shared drive which I think is Y, and dropped the front end on the pc's which needed access and that was it, as access done all the magic under the scenes.

Only problem I have found if you have any mail merg doc set up you will have to re-set them up and move a copy of the letter on the local pc drive.

[AccessN00b]

Well the good news is that I found Microsoft's instructions for splitting. It goes like this:

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To split the database in Microsoft Office Access 2007, follow these steps:
1. Create a new blank Access database.
2. On the External Data tab, click Access in the Import group.
3. In the Get External Data dialog box, click Browse to locate and select the database that you want to split, click to select the Import tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and modules into the current database. check box, and then click OK.
4. In the Import Objects dialog box, click Select All on the Tables tab, and then click OK.

Notice that Access imports all of the tables into the new database, which is your back-end database.
5. Store the new back-end database on a network share, and make sure that all the users have full permissions to the share.
6. Create a second new blank Access database.
7. On the External Data, click Access in the Import group.
8. In the Get External Data dialog box, click Browse to select the back-end database that you created, click to select the Link to the data source by creating a linked table. check box, and then click OK.
9. In the Import Objects dialog box, click Select All on the Tables tab, and then click OK.

Notice that Access links the tables in the back-end database to the front-end database.
10. On the External Data, click Access in the Import group.
11. In the Get External Data dialog box, click Browse to select the original database that you are splitting, click to select the Import tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and modules into the current database. check box, and then click OK.
12. In the Import Objects dialog box, click Select All on the Forms tab, repeat this step on all other tabs except the Tables tab because you have already linked to the tables. You now only need to import the rest of the objects, and then click OK.

Notice that you now have all the tables linked and have imported the remaining objects.

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But the downside is that, as is becoming far too frequent for me, it works within MS Access but not when compiled. When I turn the form into a Windows install package and install it on my own computer and try to run it I just get a blank...well I guess I would call it the runtime screen? The screen where one's form should appear except it doesn't, there's nothing there.

[winterh]

Hum not sure on that one, will have a look. But thing this maybe out of my skill set

[winterh]

Sorry no more joy

[manic]

Have you tried linking the tables at start?

[winterh]

That was the way the wizard should have done it, but you can always ask access to link the tables after

[AccessN00b]

But the downside is that, as is becoming far too frequent for me, it works within MS Access but not when compiled. When I turn the form into a Windows install package and install it on my own computer and try to run it I just get a blank...well I guess I would call it the runtime screen? The screen where one's form should appear except it doesn't, there's nothing there.

Finally found the solution. It goes like this: Office Button -> Access Options -> Current Database -> Display Form and then from the pull down list select the form for this project and click OK to save. Seems like something the Wizard should configure as it's building your install package for said form but, as they say, c'est la vie