Error in attempting to launch Access 97 1

[WaverBoy]

I recently tried to install Access 97 from my Office 97 Professional Edition, and after installation, when I attempted to launch the program, a window came up with only the Microsoft Window Symbol in the title bar, and an error message window that says: "Can't find the database you specified, or you didn't specify a database at all. Specify a valid database name in the command line, and include a path if necessary." Then I click OK, and everything disappears, without even launching the program. Repeated attempts to uninstall/reinstall have not worked. What do I do? I also have Office 2000 Small Business Edition installed, along with PowerPoint 97 from the same CD I'm attempting to install Access 97 from. Any ideas, anyone?

 

[RickSpr]

Try uninstalling both Access 97 and Access 2000, then install them in that order.

If Access 97 is present when Access 2000 is installed, certain things are done in the registry which allow them both to be available. (Whichever one you last used will be associated with .mdb files, until you open the other program without a database.) Rick Sprague

 

[WaverBoy]

Ok, Rick, I uninstalled both Office 2000 and Office 97. I reinstalled Office 97, and now Access won't work again. This time I get an error message that says "Access can't start because there's no license for it on this machine". When of course, there is -- I typed in my key number when it asked for it, and the other programs work fine. What now.....? By the way, my Office 2000 Small Business Edition doesn't include Access 2000, unfortunately.

 

[RickSpr]

This is a known bug, and has been asked in this forum dozens of times. Here are a couple of Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that describe how to fix it:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q141/3/73.asp?LNG=ENG&SA=ALLKB&FR=0

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q191/2/24.ASP?LNG=ENG&SA=ALLKB&FR=0

Do a forum search for "license" in the message subject if you want other links and experiences.

I didn't realize you don't have Access 2000. My suggestion that you uninstall was based on an erroneous assumption, and I'm sorry I started you down the wrong path. At this point, I'll have to just cross my fingers that reinstalling will fix it. Rick Sprague

 

[WaverBoy]

I downloaded a fix for it from a link from one of those articles, and it worked POIFECTLY! Thanks so much, Rick; you really saved me there!