MS Access 2003 Runtime Environment

[Mike]

Hi
Hi

We are currently upgrading from access 97 to office 2003 on site. We
would like to upgrade our access databases to Access 2003 but we wish
to remove Microsoft access software from our end users so that we can
control the creation of databases. Is there a way that our end users
can still use these upgraded access databases without having access
2003 installed on their machines. The mdes will reside on a server so
they can be shared. Most of these databases process very few
transactions so performance isn't an issue even though they are multi
user.

How do you install the runtime environment, each person on site is
entitled to a copy of ms access 2003 under our licensing agreement so
I assume they would be entitled to install the runtime environment. I
want the runtime environment to work for numerous databases. Any
assistance would be appreciated, the microsoft support website seems
to deal with only single installations of standalone databases , but I
want the runtime environment to be sharable on each machine so it can
be used to run various access 2003 databases stored on the network
drive .

Thank you

Michael Black

[Tony Toews]

Re: MS Access 2003 Runtime Environment

mblacky2000@hot mail.com (Mike) wrote:
[color=blue]
>We are currently upgrading from access 97 to office 2003 on site. We
>would like to upgrade our access databases to Access 2003 but we wish
>to remove Microsoft access software from our end users so that we can
>control the creation of databases.[/color]

I stongly feel you are making a mistake here. If the users can't use Access to
create their databases then they'll use <shudder> Excel. Better to give them the
right tool.
[color=blue]
>Is there a way that our end users
>can still use these upgraded access databases without having access
>2003 installed on their machines.[/color]

The runtime which you are already aware of.
[color=blue]
>The mdes will reside on a server so
>they can be shared. Most of these databases process very few
>transactions so performance isn't an issue even though they are multi
>user.[/color]

You want to split the MDB into a front end containing the queries, forms, reports,
macros and modules with just the tables and relationships. The FE is copied to each
network users computer. The FE MDB is linked to the tables in the back end MDB
which resides on a server. You make updates to the FE MDB and distribute them to
the users, likely as an MDE.

See the "Splitting your app into a front end and back end Tips" page at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/splitapp/ for more info. See the Auto FE Updater
downloads page http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm to make this relatively
painless.. It also supports Terminal Server/Citrix quite nicely.
[color=blue]
>How do you install the runtime environment, each person on site is
>entitled to a copy of ms access 2003 under our licensing agreement so
>I assume they would be entitled to install the runtime environment.[/color]

I am not a lawyer. However the license for runtime has nothing to do with the
license for Office. So you could install both the runtime and a full version of
Access on their systems.
[color=blue]
>I want the runtime environment to work for numerous databases. Any
>assistance would be appreciated, the microsoft support website seems
>to deal with only single installations of standalone databases , but I
>want the runtime environment to be sharable on each machine so it can
>be used to run various access 2003 databases stored on the network
>drive .[/color]

No problem here. Just create shortcuts for each database or have users click on the
database in Windows Explorer.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
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