Linking to a database which is in use

[Simon van Beek]

Dear reader,



I have the experience that linking to a back end which is in use is
possible.

But know I am having a situation that I can't make a link to a table because
the database is in use. When I try to link the table a window pups up with
the message "Data base in use".

How I am sure to make a link to a back which is in use by somebody ells.



Thanks for any help or suggestion.

Kind regards,

Simon

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

Re: Linking to a database which is in use

"Simon van Beek" <SvanBeekNL@Ver satel.nlwrote:

>But know I am having a situation that I can't make a link to a table because
>the database is in use. When I try to link the table a window pups up with
>the message "Data base in use".

This is probably a permissions problem on the directory in which the backend is
installed. But this is by the person who is currently using the backend. Not the
userid trying to link to the BE.

The users must have create/delete privileges to that directory. What is happening is
that Access can't create the .ldb file which allows multiple users to update the MDB.
So Access only allows one user at a time.

One simple way of testing this is to ensure the users can create and delete a file in
the network share. Any file, even using notepad, is enough to test this. I simply
don't trust all those permissions screen within the OS. You never quite know whats
lurking behind the advanced button. So test this yourself.

Sometimes it could only be one user who does not have create privileges to cause
problems who just happens to be the first user into the MDB at that moment in time.
Then all the other Access users can't access the file because the first user is in
exclusively.

"I found that I could keep the permissions set to Change, but had to ensure that the
directory in which the db resides was set to not inherit permissions from it's
parent. It seemed that every time a new user logged onto a given machine, it got
messed up."

See ACC: Determining Which User Has Opened Database Exclusively

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=169648

Essentially you must use tools on the server to determine who has locked the file.

Also see ACC: Introduction to .ldb Files (95/97)
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=136128. This basic information hasn't changed for
versions up to and including A2007.
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
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