Weird Access 97 MDE behavior

[Angel Mazo]

Dear all,

I have a very weird Access 97 MDE behavior that I don't know how to
explain and, of course, how to solve:

.. I have a site with 14 PC's, mixed Windows XP Pro and Windows 98,
running an application developed on my laptop with Windows XP Pro.
Front Ends are located on user's PC's and Back End is located on a
"Windows 2000 Server".
Eveything is working properly.

.. Recently, 3 folders have been created "on server" to give remote
access using Terminal Server. I have copied the Access 97 MDE over
those folders and, here it is the problem, application does not run.
When application starts I can see the first Microsoft Access splash
Access screen and immediately, application ends.
I have put the typical "Hello World" message as first code line and
application ends without displaying the message, that is, no one code
line is executed.

But curiously, if I run the same application, but the MDB instead of
MDE, application works.

Even more, if I execute the MDE application directly on the server the
result is the same, does not work, so anything related to Terminal
Server.

This morning I tried a workaround and I "created a new MDE file
directly on the server" and, application worked.

So the difference is between MDE created on my laptop and MDE created
on the server; I have checked references, etc, and everything is
right.

Maybe the Office 97 installation over the server is different that one
installed on a local PC, due operating system?

I don't understand, I would appreciate your help.

Regards.

Angel.

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

I'm guessing here, because I don't have access to a Windows 2000 Server PC
with Office 97 installed, but my guess, for whatever that might be worth, is
that some components - the DAO or ADO object libraries, perhaps - might be
installed into different locations by the different operating systems.

The solution you've already found is, in my experience, the simplest and
most reliable - create the MDE using the same version of Windows under which
it will be installed.

 

[Angel Mazo]

Brendan,

Thanks for your quick answer. The worst (to me) is that makes me to
visit the customer site to deploy new versions for Terminal Server
Users because for site Users I do that remotely thru FTP from my home.

Next time I visit customer site I will try to investigate a little bit
more about your suggestion related to different folders, etc.

Regards.

Angel.

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

There are at least two alternatives to having to go on-site to do these
things. One is remote control software, such as PC Anywhere (Symantec).

Provided the client has retail Access on the target PC, you can develop the
MDB on your PC, then log on to the target PC using PC Anywhere or one of the
alternatives, transfer the MDB, then create the MDE on the target PC.

Another alternative is something like Virtual PC (formerly Connectix, now
Microsoft, included in the MSDN subscription). This creates a 'virtual' PC
running in a window on your desktop, on which you can install an operating
system and applications, and to the operating system and applications it
appears to be a physical PC, completely independent of the host PC on which
it is running. You can set up one of these virtual PCs with the same
environment as the target PC. It does use up a fair chunk of hard disk space
for each virtual PC, and a fair chunk of RAM while the virtual PC is
running, but in my experience the time it saves me more than compensates for
that.

 

[Angel Mazo]

Brendan,

Again thanks for your advice, they are very helpful.

So according to that and as I already have a Terminal Server
connection to server, could I use it to open MDB file and to create
the MDE ? (after transmitting the MDB file, of course) ... I think
that would be the solution.

Thanks again.

Angel.

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

I would expect so - can't hurt to try, anyway.

 

[Angel Mazo]

Brendan,

I just tried it and it worked.

Thank you so much.

Angel.