Multiuser and different OS's

[Dave]

Access 2007
Not split
No security
DB is accessed by going to the server from each users (4) machine.

Basic question is:
Can different versions of OS effect (Prevent) multi user access.

Here is the situation.
4 machines with Access 2007
All 4 at the same version (SP1)
Trusted location set to the server folder containing the file with sub
folders enabled.
Macros always enabled.

user's cannot access the DB at the same time (except in one scenario)
All user's but one get the pop-up security warning which forces them to
click "Open" before getting into the DB
OS's are:
XP Pro
XP Home
Vista Home Premium
Vista Home Premium

The XP Pro machine does not get the security warning pop-up
AND
if he opens first, ONE (only one) of the other user's can get in and use

Is this an OS issue or an Access issue?

thanks,

dave

 

[Dave]

Chris,
This is I know is the "correct" approach however with this still in
development (but reluctantly used) and at a remote location. So I have no
way of giving each user a "Copy" every morning.

It also does not explain why in one scenario it will open for 2 user's and
in all other cases it does not open for more then one user.
Nor why all but one user gets the "security warning".

I will look at the advanced settings as that I did not look at while
on-site.

Thanks

dave

 

[M.L. Sco Scofield]

Dave,

And when you loose the database due to corruption, you will regret not
giving each user a copy of the front-end. Four users is not a big deal. Even
if you had to update 50 users, there is still no excuse to not split the
database. Access databases do *not* like to be opened by more than one user
at the same time. Find a way...

Sco

M.L. "Sco" Scofield, MCSD, MCP, MSS, A+, Access MVP 2001 - 2005
Denver Area Access Users Group Past President 2006/2007 www.DAAUG.org
MS Colorado Events Administrator www.MSColoradoEvents.com
This email made with 100% recycled electrons!
Miscellaneous Access "stuff" at www.ScoBiz.com

 

[Dave]

I am looking in them giving me Remote Access so the "Copy" issue will be
less cumbersome.

I will also talk to the IT guy about user/folder security permissions.

I will keep you posted

thanks

dave

 

[Paul Shapiro]

I setup all clients so their application shortcut runs a very simple batch
file. It copies the latest FE from the server to their local workstation
disk and then runs that local copy. So every time they run the app they get
the most recent FE from the server. Zero deployment effort no matter how
many users you have. Just put the current version on the server. Next time
they start the app, that's the version they'll be running.

As others said, if the data gets corrupted, you will wish you had taken the
extra time to set things up correctly. I think once anyone is using the app,
data protection has to be a top priority. It's really very little extra work
to do it correctly.

 

[Dave]

Paul,

I was considering the batch file alternative but have very little experience
writing batch files.

Any chance I could get your code.

This does seem like is solves all problems with constant development and
distance involved.

thanks

dave

 

[Clifford Bass]

Hi Dave,

See Tony Toews' Auto FE Updater at
<http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm>.

Clifford Bass

 

[hor vannara]

Access 2007
Not split
No security
DB is accessed by going to the server from each users (4) machine.

Basic question is:
Can different versions of OS effect (Prevent) multi user access.

Here is the situation.
4 machines with Access 2007
All 4 at the same version (SP1)
Trusted location set to the server folder containing the file with sub
folders enabled.
Macros always enabled.

user's cannot access the DB at the same time (except in one scenario)
All user's but one get the pop-up security warning which forces them to
click "Open" before getting into the DB
OS's are:
XP Pro
XP Home
Vista Home Premium
Vista Home Premium

The XP Pro machine does not get the security warning pop-up
AND
if he opens first, ONE (only one) of the other user's can get in and use

Is this an OS issue or an Access issue?

thanks,

dave

 

[Paul Shapiro]

The batch file is pretty simple. The expression used here for the users's My
Documents folder works for Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

copy /y "\\ServerName\ShareName\Folder\dbName.mdb" "%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\My
Documents\LocalFolderName\"
Start "ArbitraryProgramName" "%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\My
Documents\LocalFolderName\dbName.mdb"
REM pause

For troubleshooting and testing, remove the REM before the pause. That will
leave the command window open so you can see any error messages.

For Vista, and cases where home directories are redirected, the path
expression used above might not work. I've also used:
copy /y "\\ServerName\ShareName\Folder\dbName.mdb" "C:\LocalFolderName\"

You can also try %USERPROFILE%\Documents for Vista, which uses Documents
instead of My Documents for the user's default document folder.

The LocalFolderName folder has to exist before running this, or you can add
a first line:
mkdir "%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\My Documents\LocalFolderName"

That generates an error if the folder already exists, but the user won't
usually see the error because the batch file continues executing and the
window disappears. I usually just create the folder manually if it's only a
few users.