Access Runtime Solutions

[Jit]

Hi,

I wonder if you would be kind enough to answer a question regarding the above.

I have developed an Access front end for a client using Access 2000.
However, the client uses either Access 97 or Access 2003. The problem is that
if I convert the 2000 or simply use the 2000 version on 2003, some of the
MDACs of service pack 2 need to be installed manually because Microsoft made
an error with the updates of MDAC 2.8. The other problem is that Access 97
doesn't really like my Access 2000 version as there is a lot of VBA code
behind the front end.
Now because the client is a large organization with lots of internal
bureaucracy, they don't want to install the MDAC components manually because
this would cause uproar and would be far too much effort.

I would therefore like to suggest an alternative Runtime solution. So my
question to you really is this - would a runtime solution require the MDACs
installed on local machines? Would my solution be able to run off a CD for
instance - could I have the MDAC components (which are DLLs) on the CD
instead of on the local machine?

Any help or insight on this matter would be greatly appreciated as I am very
new to Access developing and would like to offer my client the best solution
possible.

Kindest Regards,
Jitesh

 

[Merle Nicholson]

I distribute an Access program much in the same way sucessfully, using the
Access Runtime 2003 module. It does require that all machines using the
application have the runtime module installed, so I supply that on a separate
install CD. The runtime comes as a part of the "Microsoft Office Access
Developer Extensions" in the MS product "Visual Studio Tools". It levelizes
the problem to using Access 2003, and does not interfere with existing Office
installations. It was expensive, but it was a one-time purchase. I understand
that there is a new 2005 version of this that is free. I have not used it,
but it's the solution needed when developing in Access 2007, and perhaps it
will work with Access 2003.