Creating an MDE File (Problems)????

[Richard C]

I have a database that I am creating, and I would like to
convert it into a self contained MDE file. The Problem I
am running into is, when I have converted my database to
access 2003 and then go to make it into a MDE file, it
starts to run and then does nothing!!! If I create a very
simple database and do the same, it will create the MDE
file!!!

Does anyone know why this is happening? I have updated
Office and Access and have all the latest patches, but it
still wont work. Is it something within my database it
doesnt like?

One more question. How do you make the Forms pop up as
soon as you open the MDE file and does it always show the
access wizards and other devices? My ideal goal would be
to make the database run and only show the GUI I have
created and none of the access menus!!!

Any Help would be excellent!!

Rich

 

[Nikos Yannacopoulos]

Richard,

On the first question: this may or may not be related to the conversion, and
what I propose may or may not solve it, but it doesn't hurt to try. The most
common reasons for a conversion to .mde to fail on a working .mdb are two,
(a) too many objects (in excess of 500 at least), or (b) an error in the
code. Case (a) is the leastcommon of the two, and is easy to discard. To
check for (b), open the VB editor and execute menu item Debug > Compile
<database name>. If an error is found it will be highlighted; fix and repeat
the process until no error is found, then you'll be able to make the
conversion.
By the way, the reason why I am not completely certain it will do the job
is, a code error would normally produce an error message before conversion,
while you say "it does nothing". Anyway, worth a shot?

To your second question: the options under Tools > Startup will allow you to
choose which form to load on startup and whether you want menus and toolbars
to show or not etc. You have to do this in the .mdb before conversion. To
get them back later, open the database while holding down the Shift key, so
as to bypass all the startup settings (and any autoexec macro or code), and
restore the startup settings.

HTH,
Nikos

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi, Richard.

Check the "Can't make an MDE!" checklist at the following Web page to help
you determine why you can't create the MDE database:

http://www.Access.QBuilt.com/html/conversion.html

How do you make the Forms pop up as soon as you open the MDE file

Select Tools menu -> Startup to open the "Startup" dialog window. In the
"Display Form/Page" combo box on the top right of the dialog window, select
the form that you would like your database application to show when the
application opens.

does it always show the
access wizards and other devices? My ideal goal would be
to make the database run and only show the GUI I have
created and none of the access menus!!!

Creating the MDE is the best way to lock down the design and prevent users
from changing your forms, reports and modules. You can also customize your
application to prevent your users from altering other things that you don't
want them to change. In the "Startup" dialog window, you'll see several
check boxes for other startup options. Once you've created your own custom
menu bar and toolbars, select your custom menu bar in the Menu Bar combo box
and uncheck most, if not all, of the following default choices in each of
the options, depending upon your application's needs: Allow Full Menus,
Allow default Shortcut Menus, Use Access Special Keys, Display Database
Window, Allow Built-in Toolbars, and Allow Toolbar/Menu Changes.

When you are done developing your application, you may also want to prevent
users from using the shift key to bypass your startup properties. You can
find the source code to do so on this Web page:

http://www.mvps.org/access/general/gen0040.htm

There are many techniques used to secure a database application, like
implementing the user-level security, hiding tables and other objects, et
cetera, so you may want to start a new thread to ask questions about locking
down a database. That way, you'll likely get more people who will offer
suggestions about locking down databases to open, read and reply to your
message.

HTH.

Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

(Any human can read my reply E-mail address and should alter it so that a
message will be forwarded to me. Spammers are free to use my UNALTERED
reply E-mail address. I will *never* get those messages!)

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

One more question. How do you make the Forms pop up as
soon as you open the MDE file and does it always show the
access wizards and other devices? My ideal goal would be
to make the database run and only show the GUI I have
created and none of the access menus!!!

I have a sample mdb file that hides and prevents you from seeing all of the
ms-access interface.

It is a mdb file, and the steps left out here BEFORE you would deploy this
example would be to convert to mde, and also disable the shift key by-pass.

If you want to see the settings, and how this was done (and, no security was
needed), grab the follow little download here (grab the 3rd file/example).

http://www.attcanada.net/~kallal.msn/msaccess/DownLoad.htm

 

[mark]

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