Problem with forms

[Aref]

Hello All,

I am new to this group and to Access so my apologies if this topic has
been addressed in the past or if this is not the appropriate place for
my post.

I have created a database in Access 2007 with several forms and
reports, for a work related project. Everything works fine and since I
wanted other members of the team to use the database I moved it to a
server on our intranet.
Having done that I was surprised that no one else other than me can
open the forms (used for record entry) from the switchboard. Everybody
can open the reports however, and everybody can open the forms from
the navigation window. No permissions were set to restrict access to
the database and all have access to the server and all have access
2007 locally on their machines.
I cannot figure out what is wrong. I managed to briefly get the
problem resolved--it appeared that some tables which were joined did
not have data in them and after I populated all the tables others were
able to open the forms. I then changed the forms by adding an "undo
changes" button with some code. Since this change the problem of no
one being able to open the forms returned. No error messages are
displayed--simply nothing happens.
Is this a known problem? Am I missing something?
Thanks in advance for any help in trying to understand and solve the
problem.

Aref

 

[Access Developer]

As a start, visit http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr, MVP Tony Toews site,
and read about splitting the front and back end databases, and permissions
required. He also has an "updater" application for updating the users' copy
of the front end database.

From your description of the situation, you may be encountering permissions
problems. You should have your tables and relationships in the separate
back-end database, and provide each user a copy of the front end (user
interface) to run on their own machine, linking to tables in the back end.

But certainly, if you have the database open for exclusive use (as you must
in order to change database objects as a developer), no one else is going to
be able to open it.

Consider creating a "developer copy" of the front-end to which only you have
access, making and testing your changes, and then making a copy of that (a
"release" copy) to supply to each user to replace their personal copy of the
front-end. Your users will "share" the linked data tables in the back end
database, but each will have his/her own "unshared" personal copy of the
front-end on his/her own machine.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP

 

[Aref]

Thanks Larry.

I could not open the link you suggested: "page not found"
I will try your suggestion about splitting and distributing the front
end to the users.
I am not sure that the problem is permissions though because users can
open the forms from the navigation panel, they can't open the forms
from the switchboard by clicking on the select button.
Also the problem persists even when I exit the database and close the
forms.

Anyway, Thanks again and I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
Cheers,
Aref

 

[Access Developer]

Sorry, I left something off. This one works for me to get to Tony's site:

http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

When I say "permissions", I mean permissions on the server disk on which the
Access application resides... users have to be granted permissions that many
sysadmins do not like to grant -- more or less, full permissions,
read/write/update and add/delete. But, in fact, that may not be the problem.

If you used the Switchboard Manager to create the Switchboard, it creates
both forms and tables, and I hear a lot of complaints about that --
especially when multiple users are using the same copy of the user interface
database, thus, exactly the same table. I do not use the Switchboard
Manager because I regard it as a "complex solution to a simple problem" -- I
create my own Switchboards with Forms and Command Buttons (and often, other
controls) but NO table behind the scenes to confuse the issue.

By the way, I have a list of links to some very, very useful websites about
Access at my user group site, http://sp.ntpcug.org/accesssig/default.aspx.
I just plugged this in to the address bar on IE 8.0 and it worked for me.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP

Thanks Larry.

I could not open the link you suggested: "page not found"
I will try your suggestion about splitting and distributing the front
end to the users.
I am not sure that the problem is permissions though because users can
open the forms from the navigation panel, they can't open the forms
from the switchboard by clicking on the select button.
Also the problem persists even when I exit the database and close the
forms.

Anyway, Thanks again and I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
Cheers,
Aref

 

[Aref]

Hello Larry,
Thanks for the links and the response.
I checked permissions to the folder on the server where the database
resides and those intended to use the database all have read/write
priviliges. Since I am the owner of the folder I was even able to add
users and grant them full control but that did not solve the problem.
I think you are correct in thinking that the problem may be in the
Switchboard. I did use the switchboard manager to create the startup
form. I will look at the links you provided and see if there is
anything I can glean to help me solve this problem--a database not
accessible by those who are supposed to be using it is not of any
use

Thanks again and I truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my
question.
Cheers,
Aref

 

[Access Developer]

You may be able to "make do" with the Switchboard Manager generated forms
and table, if you split front-end from back-end, and put the Switchboard
Manager table as a local table in each user's personal copy of the
front-end.

Another caution: having multiple users concurrently logged in to the same
copy of the front-end significantly increases the potential for database
corruption in the front-end and should be avoided for that reason, if no
other.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP

Hello Larry,
Thanks for the links and the response.
I checked permissions to the folder on the server where the database
resides and those intended to use the database all have read/write
priviliges. Since I am the owner of the folder I was even able to add
users and grant them full control but that did not solve the problem.
I think you are correct in thinking that the problem may be in the
Switchboard. I did use the switchboard manager to create the startup
form. I will look at the links you provided and see if there is
anything I can glean to help me solve this problem--a database not
accessible by those who are supposed to be using it is not of any
use

Thanks again and I truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my
question.
Cheers,
Aref

 

[Aref]

I split the forms and tables but this did not solve the problem I am
having. I did find though what causes the problem but can't figure out
why or how to fix it.
Here is what I found:
1- I added an undo button to the forms to allow users to undo edits
done to records.
2- the button is inactive until a record is changed and then it
becomes active allowing the user to click it and undo changes.
3- the code is the following:

Option Compare Database

Private Sub cmdUndoChanges_Click()
DoCmd.RunCommand acCmdUndo
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Current()
Me!cmdUndoChanges.Enabled = False
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Dirty(Cancel As Integer)
Me!cmdUndoChanges.Enabled = True
End Sub

4- The code is entered as an event procedure -- click on the button in
design view and then select event from the properties and in the On
Click select code builder and enter the code in the VB window which
pops up.

This all works fine for me but the other users cannot open the forms--
no error is generated at all though just the forms don't show up.
In the form property sheet under other the has module would say yes.
If I change that to no then the forms open fine but then the undo
button does not work.
Why is it that the undo button code is preventing other users from
opening the forms? and how can implement an undo button without this
problem?

Again thanks in advance to all who would takle the time to respond.

Cheers,
Aref

 

[Aref]

I split the forms and tables but this did not solve the problem I am
having. I did find though what causes the problem but can't figure out
why or how to fix it.
Here is what I found:
1- I added an undo button to the forms to allow users to undo edits
done to records.
2- the button is inactive until a record is changed and then it
becomes active allowing the user to click it and undo changes.
3- the code is the following:

Option Compare Database

Private Sub cmdUndoChanges_Click()
    DoCmd.RunCommand acCmdUndo
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Current()
    Me!cmdUndoChanges.Enabled = False
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Dirty(Cancel As Integer)
    Me!cmdUndoChanges.Enabled = True
End Sub

4- The code is entered as an event procedure -- click on the button in
design view and then select event from the properties and in the On
Click select code builder and enter the code in the VB window which
pops up.

This all works fine for me but the other users cannot open the forms--
no error is generated at all though just the forms don't show up.
In the form property sheet under other the has module would say yes.
If I change that to no then the forms open fine but then the undo
button does not work.
Why is it that the undo button code is preventing other users from
opening the forms? and how can implement an undo button without this
problem?

Again thanks in advance to all who would takle the time to respond.

Cheers,
Aref

Issue resolved: used the wizard with command button to implement undo
record. This works and users are able to open the forms. I would like
to understand why VB code (or the way I was implementing the undo
button) is causing a problem.

Thanks