Access 2010 incompatible with previous versions?

[Vernon Halsey]

I have an Access database that has been is use for approx 8 years. It was originally written in 2000 and subsequently converted to 2003.

It consists of a client-unique front-end linked to a shared Access 2003 back-end data storage.

Has approx 200 concurrent users with a mixture of full Access 2003, full Access 2007 and Access 2007 runtime.

Never crashed in 8 years until we put out first Win7/Office2010 clients on the network.

Now it crashes regularly with "unrecognis ed database format" and random tables lose their indexes.

About a year ago, I installed the same application at another site. That ran without a glitch for almost a year until they put their first Win7/Office2010 client on the network.
Now theirs crashes weekly too.

I note that Office2010 automatically installs an "evaluation " version of Access2010, even if you buy a version of Office that doesn't include Access.

Access 2010 seems to have a backward compatibility issue with databases created in earlier versions.

Having the previously stable application crash regularly and inconveniencing 200+ users is not an option.
Neither is ugrading every client to Office 2010

Can anyone tell me exactly what is happening and suggest how we work around this.

[Narender Sagar]

You can create a new database in Access 2010 (in .accdb format) and import all objects in the new database. Database security features are changed in new version (like Workgroup Security is not available in .accdb files).
Switchboard option is also not available in new version. You can check on internet what is new in Access 2010.

[Vernon Halsey]

Thanks for your input Narender.
But I think you have missed my point.

I don't want to migrate the application to Access2010.
I want to continue running my Access2003 application on clients which use 2003 (full & runtime) and 2007 (full & runtime).

My problem seems to be that on clients touched in any way by an Office2010 install, the 2007 runtime is corrupted or somehow usurped and the application fails, at the same time corrupting the shared central datastore (a 2003 format.mdb) so causing the application to become unusable not just for that user but for the entire client population.

What I need is a method of installing Word2010, Excel2010, PPT2010 on a client alongside Access2007 Runtime so that the Access2003 program component running on the client doesn't corrupt my shared Access2003 central datastore.

So I need to understand how the Office2010 install is turning my functioning 2007Runtime into a database corruption tool.

DLL conflicts?? Registry settings??
All ideas gratefully received.

[NeoPa]

My suggestion would be to check somewhere like Converting to Access 2007 or 2010 to see if you can find anything that might explain your scenario Vernon.

[neelsfer]

Vernon, i was on A2010 for a 3 solid days, and converted back to A2007. One of my applications corrupted totally and another one developed "bugs" slowing it down to the extent, that you can have a cup of coffee in between pressing the buttons in the application.In A2007 it was lightning fast.
I was also using windows 7 + A2010 and even installed the new Office 2010 sp1 that was released very recently, with no improvement.

I have 2 other clients with A2010 installed, that experienced this "unrecognis ed database format" error with one of my applications.
WE have tried everything to no avail, and they are also now migrating back to A2007.

If you succeeds with: "What I need is a method of installing Word2010, Excel2010, PPT2010 on a client alongside Access2007 Runtime" right, then please post the solution!

[Rabbit]

I'm thinking if you uninstall all office products, then install the office suite with custom options where you check only word, excel, and ppt, then install Access 2007 runtime, that might work.

[byterbit]

I see similar nonsense.
Have a customer with 2010 on a server and 2000 on a series of PC’s recently showing what look like incompatibility issues; once a 2010 user saves the file, simple VBA code on a 2000 box opening a form fails.
I have also noticed similar but perhaps more expected issues when I modify a report in a 2003 file in 2010 and then attempt to use the MDB again on 2003.
Looks like it's part of Balmer's attack on productivity.

[NeoPa]

Actually, MS Access has always had difficulties working with earlier versions. In previous releases of Office the other applications (Word, Excel, etc) were always further ahead than Access when it came to interoperating with other versions. Access has started to catch up, but clearly there are still issues. This reflects how difficult it's always been to interoperate within an application as complicated and heavy-duty as Access is.

My understanding is that a big problem, that accounts for many such issues, is that while libraries can be found to replace any missing ones on any individual PC, Access actually saves these new libraries in place of the originals when it is used. The side-effects of this are many.

[neelsfer]

Since my last post i have learned a few things. My 2007 versions are working almost 100% in Access 2010, but only because i use the latest available Service packs for both Access 2010, and Windows XP or 7 or 8. Also check that you have version 14 in your vba code where needed, and not version 12.
When it comes to 64 bit, compile a copy of your program to accde, using a 64bit windows operation system pc. I keep both 32bit and 64bit versions of my applications these days

[zmbd]

This is a very old thread and as Neopa pointed out a very well known issue - only made worse with the introduction of 64bit flavors of the applications and PC hardware.