Help needed with a Access Landing page

[Jacquedup]

Good Day,



I am hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

I have a client with a Access DB of around 250MB. It was originally created in Access 2003 many many years ago. We were never able to use the DB in Access 2007 or 2010. However from 2013 and 2016 onwards it has been working correctly.

I am unsure what has gone wrong, but when you open the DB it is supposed to go to a landing page, That has about 10 menu options, under this each of these menu options there are sub catogories.

Now when I open the Access DB it does not open the landing page. It does not give any error messages when opening. I do have a older backup of the DB where the landing page is working correctly. I have tried to import the correct database with the faulty landing page into the one with the working landing page. It imports the data and is happy. The file size also reflects correctly.

When we open the the new DB it has the landing page but the data is not there or not linked. The client says the data in the backup database is old.

Any help will be very much appreciated.

Regards,
Jacque

[Homegrownandy]

Hello.

Click file in the top left > options > current database > then there is a dropdown box about 4 down that you select the form you want to open when the database is opened.

That's the easy method, there are a few different ways of achieving this.

[Jacquedup]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Are you referring to the original DB that has no landing page?

[Homegrownandy]

Assuming you open this with access and not runtime, then any database. you just need to find the form you wish to open first then pick it.

[Bulzie]

Few options:
1. You could load Access 2003 onto the PC to use with this Database. You can still load and use the higher versions of Office products like Word, Outlook, etc. on same PC. But if this database is used by many folks, I would probably convert it instead.
2. Covert the database to whatever version of Access you are using. Follow what Homegrownandy said to get the landing page to show first. Then you will need to resolve any issues with the conversion such as broken links or missing code.
3. Be careful when working with older copies of databases, very easy to overwrite data. Make sure you have a good backup copy of the most current database.

[Jacquedup]

Thanks for all the advise. I had a look at the database this is working but has older data an this one has a lot of pages to choose from. It is currently set to open a form called Switchboard.

The one with the correct data but with the landing page incorrect has None in the "Display form". It also has no options to choose from

[Bulzie]

Jac does the database have local tables or linked tables to another BE database? If you have forms in your database it should those in the list to select.

[ssanfu]

Also, you might check for an "Autoexec" macro to see if the macro opens a form.

[Jacquedup]

Think I am in a bit over my head. Will need to get someone to log in via teamviewer to advise if possible?

[Micron]

When the newer version(s) was/were created, was this done by doing a Save As... in the newer version, or did you open a new db in the newer version and import all the forms/reports, etc? If you did an import, some things were probably left behind. Perhaps as mentioned an AutoExec macro, form, code module or even toolbar.

[Jacquedup]

The DB i still in 2003 format *.mde

[Micron]

When we open the the new DB it has the landing page but the data is not there or not linked.

When we open the the new DB it has the landing page but the data is not there or not linked.

After re-reading I think I'm cluing in that you have two db's with links to different tables - one outdated, the other current but not showing the form. If you haven't been able to get the switchboard to show by choosing it as the form to show when the db opens (because it's not in the list) AND there is no AutoExec macro then one or both of these must be missing in the db you imported the old objects into. You say it was working and you have a backup, "I do have a older backup of the DB". Is that backup a 2013 or 2016 version that was working or a 2003? When trying to solve an issue like this, please choose your phrases and descriptions carefully and be very explicit as to your meaning - it really helps in trying to follow what's going on.
BTW, I'm afraid I don't know what teamviewer is.

[Jacquedup]

Hi,

I will try and be a bit more clear. Both databases are still in 2003 format. Both were working and is essentially the same database.

Database 1 (Correct data but switchboard not showing): Was working correctly even when opening with access 2016. Something went wrong in the DB. It opens with no error messages but no switchboard showing and unable to select as the form to show.

Database 2 (Old Data and switchboard is showing): Is still working. Opens with no error messages and the switchboard is showing. Only problem is that the data is old.

I have tried to import database 1 into database 2. It goes through with no errors. However the data is still the older data although the file size has increased.

Teamviewer will let someone with a bit more knowledge than me connect to my computer to look at the files.

[Micron]

Thanks, better and getting close (I think). This a bit vague I have tried to import database 1 into database 2 Import what? I've never heard of importing a db into another - only the objects from one into another. If you're importing objects, take note of what I mention below re linked tables.

You might want to try creating a copy of the one where the form is appearing (with the outdated data) and not touching that - just in case you need it. Create another copy you can play with. Delete all the tables from your new play copy, then import the tables from the db that has the correct data into this new db. If you import linked tables you will impact those source tables if you alter the data in the play db as you are not working with copies of those tables, but the actual source tables via the link. If you import tables that are not linked, you will have a second set of tables that, if you alter/add data in the new db or in the db that is still in production, they will be out of sync. That is only a bad thing IF you don't allow for it. If you do this and the play db data is current and the form is loading, why not just use that to replace the one that isn't loading the form, keeping the one to be replaced for a while, just in case?

[Jacquedup]

What I mean by importing is as follows. I open database 2 (Switchboard working but old data) in Access. At the top I select External Data, then I select the "Import Access Database" button. I then browse to where database 1 is (Switchboard not working but data is current). There are 2 options of which I have tried both.

First option says: Import tables, queries, forms, reports, macros and modules into the current database
Second option says: Link to the data source by creating a linked table

I am keeping the original 2 files as is and I am working with copies in a test folder to try and resolve.