How to distribute Access 2002 and 2003 Runtime...

[CharlieIT]

My company develops an application which uses (in part)many different Microsoft Access MDB's to run reports. For years we have distributed MS Access Runtime as an option in our program's install (we use InstallShield).

Now that we have moved to Access 2002 and 2003, I do not know where to get the runtimes to include with our program. We participate in the MSDN program, and I downloaded "Access 2003 Developer Extensions" and "MS Access XP for Developers". From what I understand, I can use a "package wizard" to compile the runtime installer with my MDB's. However, I do not want to include the runtime with my MDB's, I just want a standalone runtime installer.

I guess what I'm asking is, is it possible to find a download for JUST the runtime installers for 2002 and 2003?

If anyone knows, I would greatly appreciate it! If not, is distributing the runtimes with the MDB's the ONLY way to do this?

Thank You,

Charlie

 

[TheQuestioner]

I've been searching for the extremely rare Access 2002 runtime for months. It's taken me a long time, but I've finally managed to find it.

This link contains a winRAR EXE file. When extracted, a folder called "runtime" will be created. It's this folder that contains the Access 2002/XP runtime.

Get it while you can, as I don't know how long it's gonna be up there for.

Allegedly, you need to have the XP Office Developer edition in order to "have the right" to distribute this runtime.

 

[lupins46]

Why do you say 'allegedly'? There is nothing unclear about the situation. What you are doing here appears to me to be inviting people to act illegally by distributing software without the requisite license to do so.
The download you refer to is clearly offered in the context of the installation of a specific software product, which is part of the licensing requirements for the runtime package.
And the only way to obtain the license to distribute the runtime package is via the purchase of the developer tools.

 

[CharlieIT]

Lupins46,

You are right, although I think a little rough on "The Questioner". He was intending to be helpful, although his execution was wrong. I did mention that we participate in the MSDN program (we are a Microsoft Partner), which gives us access to nearly every Microsoft license imagineable (including the developer tools in question). Officially, "TheQuestioner" did nothing wrong in distributing the software because he did so according to the license. He was however wrong in encouraging people to use the runtime installer seperately from the program it is being distributed with. It also lacks a little thinking to do so in a public forum and using a Canadian government's website to do so. I think Microsoft has bigger fish to fry though, so I suggest we all put down our tasers.

I wasn't necessarily looking for the actual software--although the download shows me the files I need to generate through the developer tools.

Here's the problem: I used to be able to distribute the runtime installer as a seperate installer. The runtime installer was maybe 4MB or 5MB large. The new developer tools force you to create an MDB, and then when you go to compile the final build, you hit a checkbox for "distribute runtime" and it lumps the runtime installer together with your MDB. Even if you simply delete your MDB, I could not believe that the runtime installer is now 56MB in size. I was thinking there MUST be extra crap in there we don't need which is being included for some reason.

"The Questioners" download was helpful, because it appears that someone else is distributing the runtime in exactly the same way, and it too is 56MB. So we are doing it right.

QUESTIONER: Go ahead and remove the software from the site before you get in some real trouble.

 

[lupins46]

OK. I understand what you say but I still the post was foolish at best.
I think there has always been some disparity between what you could do physically and what the license permitted.
From memory, it has always (well since 97 - didn't use the runtime before that) been a condition in the license that that the runtime files could only be distributed as part of a 'significant' application. (I know that corporates could sometimes do things differently and install the runtime on every machine as part of their standard config but I don't know how this was negotiated in license terms)

For A97 and A2000 it was certainly possible to easily build an empty runtime package and physically distribute that but MS are making such actions more difficult in later versions.

The jump in size came from A97 to A2000, which was initially 150mb - at a time when many users didn't even own a CD writer! Only after a lot of dissatisfaction did MS post a set of files for A2000 which brought the install down to its current size (by removing IE and associated files from the package). So only 40 floppies for an install - what a relief that was!

Pesonally, I now only consider using the runtime if there is a number of completely standard machines to install it on. The idea of distributing a runtime to an 'unknown' user would make me very uncomfortable.
The many riders and disclaimers on the referred-to download site make it abundantly clear that you install it at your own peril.