Access 2003 converts mdb when opened by VB app

[Doc Dunning]

I wrote a standalone VB6 app a few years ago that maintains a .mdb database.
One of my users has reported today that its suddenly gone wrong, and is
reporting missing indexes, fields etc. He has Access 2003 installed, but
that's been true for a while.

Looking into it a bit more, what appears to happen is that when the VB app
opens the database, the Access dlls are converting the mdb automatically to
the new format. We see the dialog on screen to say that the db must be
converted. In the process it loses the primary key, and one other field as
well, which then makes it incompatible with the VB app.

And ... he has just installed XP SP2, which makes me wonder if its something
to do with that ...

Any ideas as to what might be causing this?

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

How are you opening it from VB? Are you just using DAO or ADO to get at the
data, or are you using Automation? If you're using Automation, how are you
doing it: with Early Binding (i.e.: you've set a reference to Access), or
Late Binding (i.e.: you haven't set a reference to Access, but are using
CreateObject("Access.Application")?

Unless you're using Automation, I can't see any way that the MDB would get
converted. And, to be honest, I find it hard to understand how converting
would cause the primary key to be lost, much less data fields.

 

[Doc Dunning]

Thanks for the reply, Doug. I'm as puzzled as you! For the record, I'm
just using DAO from VB6. Since posting here, my user has told me that he's
got another XP machine where the app is still working, so we'll see if we
get anywhere with comparing the two.

Thanks meantime.