Share access database on network drive (without splitting it)

[PokerDad29]

I want to put my Access DB on a network drive so others can use it.
Most of the tables are on another server, I only have read access to
them so they are linked in my DB. Some temporary tables are created by
the queries in the DB but I don't care about their data integrity. I
copied the entire DB (very small at this point) onto the share drive
and it works from my pc but anyone else gets 'ODBC - connection to 'A
NEW FMS' failed' (it is a 'system' data source) and 'ODBC - call
failed' errors. I tried relinking the tables in the DB on the share
drive from a different computer and it will work for that computer but
no one else. How can I put the DB on the network drive without having
to go to each person's desk and link the tables from their PC? I don't
want to split it, I want to put it on there now and add much more to it
as time goes on, keeping up with all those front ends would be too much
hastle for my small little project. Thanks.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

While you may not want to split it, that really is the best way to go. To
ensure that each person has the most recent version of the front end, take a
look at the free Auto FE Update Tony Toews has at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm

If you're using a DSN to connect, each user has to have a copy of the DSN on
his/her workstation. Even if the database is on the server, it's running
from their workstation. To make it easier, you can use DSN-less connections.
I show one way to do this at
http://www.accessmvp.com/djsteele/DSNLessLinks.html

 

[John Vinson]

I don't
want to split it, I want to put it on there now and add much more to it
as time goes on, keeping up with all those front ends would be too much
hastle for my small little project.

There are tools to resolve that hassle (see Tony Toews' website
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access for an example).

Frequent irreversible database corruption, rapid bloat, loss of data
and multiple such headaches are a hassle too... and there's no easy
way around them if you use a shared single database.

Take your pick!

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[PokerDad29]

Excellent, that's exactly what I need. Thanks very much for the speedy
replies!!

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

Excellent, that's exactly what I need. Thanks very much for the speedy
replies!!

In addition to Tony's utility, you can also use Starter:

http://www.datastrat.com/Download/Starter.zip

which can be used to version the database or simply to download a fresh copy
with each time you start the database. That takes care of any corruption,
compacting, and versioning all at one time.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access downloads
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access