Converting .MDB/.MDE to .EXE 4

[BanditLV]

Is there a way to convert an existing .MDB / .MDE (preferably in Access 97) to an .EXE (executable) file for anyone to use? If so, how may I do this?

 

[Jaco]

Hello,

As far as I know it's impossible...

Jaco

 

[Guest_imported]

it is indeed possible but you need access developper edition

 

[elziko]

In the developer edition, when you have created the .exe file where is all the data stored. Is it all self contained in the EXE? And you can edit the data as you would normaly from the form that is presumably also available in the EXE??

In short what I wanna know is what the EXE will and wont be able to do!

thanks

elziko

 

[Rohdem]

I believe the developers edition allows you to create an installable program that installs a runtime version of Access, and your mdb/mde files. You need at least a runtime version of Access on the machine you are using to be able to open any database. I don't think you can just simply turn an .mdb into an .exe

Mike Rohde
rohdem@marshallengines.com

 

[TwistedMind]

If you know how to write a batch file, and have the ODE Tools, yes you can. Write the batch file to start Access w/no splash screen, using a command line to start the specific database. You would need to include the ODE setup files and place an icon for the batch file onto the desktop or startup group.

Tim

 

[Rohdem]

Twistedmind, you are right. But this still requires you to have Access on your machine. I may be wrong, but I think what BanditLV was asking in the original question is can you make a database that will run without Access installed.

Mike Rohde
rohdem@marshallengines.com

 

[Jaco]

I've heard of one possibility. I've read somewhere that there is a kind of plug-in to Access97 called FormToForm which converts Access forms into Ms VB forms. Than you only have to cut the code from Access and paste to VB and compile it in VB. It's a bit inconvenient and I don't know if that really works. You may try it. Please let me know if that works.

Jaco, Poland

jacek_ob@poczta.onet.pl

 

[BanditLV]

Rhodem is correct... I'm looking for a possible way of converting the .MDE file to a self supporting .EXE

I plan on separating the .MDB file so that the tables are stored on the network and the forms are stored on the User systems... It's the ones on the User Systems that I want to convert... I'll be looking into the Access Developer's Edition...

Mack, Las Vegas

 

[TheInsider]

Hi,
I have both the both the old Access Developer Edition and the newest version. For anyone who is interested, (as people have already stated in this thread) they do NOT compile an Access database. They simply give you a setup wizard (which is itself an Access database - lame but this does give you access to all of the source code). This setup wizard allows you to create an installation package where you choose .mdb or .mde files, then you are given an option to include a small runtime version of Access for people who don't have Access already. If you are trying to sell your databases, this is a very amateur way of doing it. I would highly suggest using Visual Basic as a front end. You will find the cost of Visual Basic to be quite comparable to the Developer Edition - possibly cheaper (hint: Ebay)! A new or used copy of VB 5 or 6 will do the trick.

Rob Marriott
rob@career-connections.net

 

[Guest_imported]

I know this is a late post to the thread, but hey, someone may still look at it (like me!). I too have been investigating this question and the answer is No. However,

http://www.gfminc.com

have a product called AccessToVB which will convert your Access 97 databases to VB6. I have tried the eval version (which only converts the Northwind.mdb database) and it does a pretty good job, buy by no means perfect. It becomes a question of how big your database is as to whether its easier to recode in VB or fix the converted code (the conversion does provide logs of what it couldn't handle). For us, it was too hard to evaluate without being able to see how it might handle our own database. In the end we have decided to stick with Access for now. If you do use it, I would be grateful to know the results.

Rohan Mitchell
rohan.mitchell@immi.gov.au