Use Access 2003 to create a 97 Database

[jason.grim]

I am currently designing a database at home for work. At home I use Access
2003; however at work we use Access 97. I've tried converting the database
to 97 format but I am unable to make changes to the database such as new
tables.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

You could leave it in Access 2000 format, make your changes, then convert to
Access 97 format.

Be careful not to use any new features that didn't exist in Access 97: they
won't be converted properly.

 

[jason.grim]

Thank you,

However, I would like to be able to make additions and changes at work as
well. It would be annoying to have to only be able to make changes at home.

 

[John Vinson]

However, I would like to be able to make additions and changes at work as
well. It would be annoying to have to only be able to make changes at home.

Working with two instances of Access, four generations apart, is a
pretty strongly guaranteed recipe for trouble.

At the VERY best you'll need to keep converting it back and forth from
2000 to 97 format - convert it to 97 to take it to work, then back to
2000 when you bring it home to work on it. I'd really worry that this
could lead to corruption and bloat. Good luck...!

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Working with two instances of Access, four generations apart, is a
pretty strongly guaranteed recipe for trouble.

At the VERY best you'll need to keep converting it back and forth from
2000 to 97 format - convert it to 97 to take it to work, then back to
2000 when you bring it home to work on it. I'd really worry that this
could lead to corruption and bloat. Good luck...!

I definitely agree it's not a desirable thing to do.

 

[jason.grim]

So I guess I'm just stuck. Is it possible to create a new database in 97 and
then just link the tables from a 2000 database? Or can you only link from
tables of the same format? I could have a 2000 DB with all the information
and structure then a 97 DB which just links off of it. I'm trying to find
the easiest path simply because I spent so much time on it at home.

 

[John Vinson]

So I guess I'm just stuck. Is it possible to create a new database in 97 and
then just link the tables from a 2000 database? Or can you only link from
tables of the same format? I could have a 2000 DB with all the information
and structure then a 97 DB which just links off of it. I'm trying to find
the easiest path simply because I spent so much time on it at home.

You can link "back" but not "forward": Access 2000/2/3 can read and
update Access97 tables, but Access97 was written years before these
versions, and cannot open the later formats.

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[jason.grim]

I guess I couldn't export the 2000 tables into excel format then load the
excel sheets into 97. Are there any mods or an add-ons so you an create 97
db's in 2003? You can make the default either 2000 or 2003 format.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Make sure your database is split into a front-end (containing the queries,
forms, reports, macros and modules) and a back-end (containing the tables
and relationships). Leave the back-end in Access 97 format, and you'll be
able to use the data in both Access 97 and Access 2003.

--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP

(no e-mails, please!)

 

[Bill Mosca, MS Access MVP]

Jason

Why not just tinstall Access 97 on your home PC. If you follow the steps in
this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=241141 you shouldn't have any problems
running both versions. As someone who must support a multiude of different
versions, I have 97, 2000 and 2003 all running on the same PC with no
issues.

 

[jason.grim]

Alright thanks, I'll just have to find a copy of 97. Good thinking.