How to get just AC 2007 Runtime files?

[Stanley L.]

It appears that AC 2007 runtime can only be installed with an application
package installer, via the Developer, visible with the MS Office button and
making a ACCDR file. I have multiple ACCDE files that run in an application.
Is there any way to just get the runtime files so I can install them with a
much simpler and versitile install program like Inno Install or Installer2Go.
Then all I need to do is install the multiple ACCDE files separately. With
using the MSI installer each ACCDE file will need to be wrapped into an ACCDR
runtime file.
As a second question, the package installer is complicated for me hence my
desire to use a simpler program like Inno Install. Is there a help file
available for the MSI package installer if I am must learn it?

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

It appears that AC 2007 runtime can only be installed with an application
package installer

I think for any complex application to install, you'll generally use an
installer.

, via the Developer,

No you do not have to use the package and deployment wizard to install the
runtime, the runtime can be a completely separate install.

So, keep in mind that you can install the runtime separately, and it is a
separate download that you can find at Microsoft site. That download is
completely unrelated to the packaging wizard and they don't necessarily have
to be tied together at all.

In fact keep in mind that the runtime is simply a stripped down version of
access, once you install it on the target machine, then any mdb, mde, or
accdb/accde file you copy to the computer can simply be clicked on to
launch it as if you had the full version of access.

The runtime is simply a full version of accesse with
the design tools removed. There's little else the changes here with the
exception that you have to gently provide most of the user interface.
So, you need to setup a startup form etc since the user will not have
the menu sysetms that comes with the full version. This makes sense
ecause the user not purchased access and "likey" will not know the
access product anyway...so, you have to provide the guidance and
ensure your application is very easy to use.

Then all I need to do is install the multiple ACCDE files separately

You don't really install them, you just copy into the target
machine. So you can e-mail that access application, or simply put the files
on a USB jump drive
and then copy it to the target computer. There is NO install required here.
On the other hand to make the whole process more enjoyable for your end
users you might want to use some kind of installer to make the process a bit
easier.

Keep in mind that your users are not likey going to be a professional
software developer like you who had a lot of training in ms-access. So since
you are the professional developer here you will have spent a LOT OF TIME
analyzing the users requirements and built a really nice user interface that
makes your application very easy to use. So, you can't expect that the end
user to go off and receive training to be a professional access user like
you. In other words if the end users are going to be experienced in using MS
access, they probably didn't need you in the first place did they? At the
end of the day this means that if you're using the runtime, you can't expect
your end users to know and be familiar with MS access. As a result of this
you have to build and provide your own user interface for those end users.

Some of the developers here say they find it better to force the end client
to purchase the full version of access because the amount of extra developer
work to provide the nice interface is often not worth the cost of a
professional developer. On the other hand even when not using the runtime, I
think any competent access developer will provide a nice user friendly and
easy to use user interface otherwise the training requirements and
frustration of your users who will make for very bad experience (they'll
likely have a very poor oppression of your software if you don't provide a
nice easy to use interface )

As a second question, the package installer is complicated for me hence my
desire to use a simpler program like Inno Install. Is there a help file
available for the MSI package installer if I am must learn it?

Have you tried the package wizard? It's really not very complicated all. In
fact the main problem with the package wizard is the fact that it's too
limited, and is very un-complicated which in turn creates most of the
problems you see posters asking in this newsgroup. In other words it is so
simple that it tends to be too limited and you can't solve all our problems
with it. so is absolutely no needs a requirements for your read up and learn
on the MSI installer.

Here's a page that has some articles, links to the packaging wizard, and
also links to the separate standalone runtime that you can install without
the package wizard.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/bb229700.aspx

 

[Stanley L.]

Thank you very much for your excellent, clear response. I agree with all the
points you talked about. I understand what you've said and have designed my
application with all the menus customized to appear when needed and with only
the ribbon components needed. I have a couple of ActiveX's that need to be
registered and the MSI installer, to my knowledge, can't do that. Thanks
again....you're good. I look forwardto just getting the runtime files to use.
Stanley L.

 

[Stanley L.]

I think for any complex application to install, you'll generally use an
installer.


No you do not have to use the package and deployment wizard to install the
runtime, the runtime can be a completely separate install.

So, keep in mind that you can install the runtime separately, and it is a
separate download that you can find at Microsoft site. That download is
completely unrelated to the packaging wizard and they don't necessarily have
to be tied together at all.

In fact keep in mind that the runtime is simply a stripped down version of
access, once you install it on the target machine, then any mdb, mde, or
accdb/accde file you copy to the computer can simply be clicked on to
launch it as if you had the full version of access.

The runtime is simply a full version of accesse with
the design tools removed. There's little else the changes here with the
exception that you have to gently provide most of the user interface.
So, you need to setup a startup form etc since the user will not have
the menu sysetms that comes with the full version. This makes sense
ecause the user not purchased access and "likey" will not know the
access product anyway...so, you have to provide the guidance and
ensure your application is very easy to use.



You don't really install them, you just copy into the target
machine. So you can e-mail that access application, or simply put the files
on a USB jump drive
and then copy it to the target computer. There is NO install required here.
On the other hand to make the whole process more enjoyable for your end
users you might want to use some kind of installer to make the process a bit
easier.

Keep in mind that your users are not likey going to be a professional
software developer like you who had a lot of training in ms-access. So since
you are the professional developer here you will have spent a LOT OF TIME
analyzing the users requirements and built a really nice user interface that
makes your application very easy to use. So, you can't expect that the end
user to go off and receive training to be a professional access user like
you. In other words if the end users are going to be experienced in using MS
access, they probably didn't need you in the first place did they? At the
end of the day this means that if you're using the runtime, you can't expect
your end users to know and be familiar with MS access. As a result of this
you have to build and provide your own user interface for those end users.

Some of the developers here say they find it better to force the end client
to purchase the full version of access because the amount of extra developer
work to provide the nice interface is often not worth the cost of a
professional developer. On the other hand even when not using the runtime, I
think any competent access developer will provide a nice user friendly and
easy to use user interface otherwise the training requirements and
frustration of your users who will make for very bad experience (they'll
likely have a very poor oppression of your software if you don't provide a
nice easy to use interface )



Have you tried the package wizard? It's really not very complicated all. In
fact the main problem with the package wizard is the fact that it's too
limited, and is very un-complicated which in turn creates most of the
problems you see posters asking in this newsgroup. In other words it is so
simple that it tends to be too limited and you can't solve all our problems
with it. so is absolutely no needs a requirements for your read up and learn
on the MSI installer.

Here's a page that has some articles, links to the packaging wizard, and
also links to the separate standalone runtime that you can install without
the package wizard.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/bb229700.aspx

When I run the downloaded 'AccessRuntime.exe', it says the installation is
successful and complete but nowhere does it say where the runtime files were
put. I've searched my computer and cannot find them. To just use the runtime
files I need to know where they are and what the names of the component files
are.
Can you tell me what directory they are installed in by the download file
and what the name plus extension are for the main files if there are many. I
see a previous person asked this same question but it was never answered. To
install the RT files on a user's PC, I need the files themselves and I can't
find them.
Thanks.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

When I run the downloaded 'AccessRuntime.exe', it says the installation is
successful and complete but nowhere does it say where the runtime files
were
put.

The runtimes installs in the exact same location as the full version of MS
access does. So you could check on your development computer where the full
installation of access resides. As I mentioned, for a lot of situations you
probably don't care what directory your version of access is installed to.

I mean do you actually care what program directory or folder your full
version of access is on your development computer? (the answers is you likey
you don't care, but as I said before the runtime version of the full version
always install to the same default location).

I've searched my computer and cannot find them. To just use the runtime
files I need to know where they are and what the names of the component
files
are.

Do you? why? Once you've installed the runtime, then if you copy any access
application to that computer you can simply launch the application by double
clicking on it and it'll will run.

Can you tell me what directory they are installed in by the download file.

as I stated its exact SAME location as a full version of MS access.

for access 2003 that location is

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\msaccess.exe

for access 2007, that location is

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE12\msaccess.exe

and what the name plus extension are for the main files

Now you've completely lost me with the above? Exactly what part of my
explanation in my previous post did you not understand what I said there's
really no difference between the full version of access being installed a
new computer, and that of the runtime version?

I going to repeat myself again:

The runtime or the full verison of access is the same thing with the
exception one who does not have the design tools built in and as a general
rule you'll have to provide more of the user interface.

The file extensions don't change at all here. You might explain further what
you mean by file extensions?

Simply put if you install a version of the access on the target computer,
then if you copy any old access application (mdb, or accdb) filed to the
computer you can launch the application by simply double clicking on it. in
other words when you install access, full version or runtime, it simply
makes the same file associations as it always did. in other words the
standard access file extensions such as .mdb, and accdb will now launch and
run MS access when any of those files are clicked on.

To
install the RT files on a user's PC, I need the files themselves and I
can't
find them.

The runtime system (which as mentioned as a stripped down version of access)
can be found in that page link I gave you. Once you install the runtime,
then you can copy your appcaion to the target computer.

On the other hand it makes absolutely zero sense install a runtime version
of access on your development computer because it's going to try to install
into the same location as the full version. Thankfully the runtime installer
detects this situation and winds up doing absolutely nothing in your case,
otherwise you would have blown out the full version of access that you paid
for. (in other words you sure as heck don't want your msaccess.exe file
being overwritten by the runtime version else you lose your ability to
develop).

So, it makes no sense to install the stand alone runtime on your development
computer at all. On the other hand you do want a copy of the runtime
**install** package on your development computer if you're going to use
(ask) the package wizard to INCLUDE the runtime install package. So don't
confuse the package wizard and the runtime install. They're two separate
installs. The packaged deployment wizard does need a copy of the runtime
install sitting on your computer, but you have no need to install the
runtime package itself. So you simply need the runtime install package on
your computer, but don't install that package cause it's not gonna do
anything on a computer that already has a version of access on it).

So once again, the answer to your simple questions where to the files
install, well I said there's no difference between the full version of
access and the runtime edition. Therefore logic dictates it's gonna be the
same directory and location as where the full verison of access installs. So
the above two sample directories I showed you for access 2003 and 2007 will
be as above, and once again I'm repeating myself they're gonna be the same
location for the full version and for the runtime version.

However as I pointed out since they install to the same location then the
installer for the runtime edition does absolutely nothing because it doesn't
overwrite your existing version (file) of msaccess.exe which resides in the
standard office directory.

--
Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

When I run the downloaded 'AccessRuntime.exe', it says the installation is
successful and complete but nowhere does it say where the runtime files were
put. I've searched my computer and cannot find them. To just use the runtime
files I need to know where they are and what the names of the component files
are.
Can you tell me what directory they are installed in by the download file
and what the name plus extension are for the main files if there are many. I
see a previous person asked this same question but it was never answered. To
install the RT files on a user's PC, I need the files themselves and I can't
find them.

The Runtime, as far as I know, is actually a ACCDE wizard that grabs
the various files required according to what you have specified and
assembles them for you in a folder which you have specified.

Click on the Office button in Access and look at the bottom of the
list.

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/developeredition2007faq.htm

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/