Multi-users issue with Access 2000 project

[codemech]

I have a customer that wants me to design an app using Access 2000 Project with SQL 2000 backend database. No problem except they want all of the users to launch the app from one shared apd or ade file. Microsoft says this won't work.

Microsoft --
If you try to open an Access project (.adp) file or an Access project extension (.ade) file in a multi-user environment, you may receive an error message similar to the following:
"The database will be opened read-only because one of the following occurred: The file is locked for editing by another user, or the file (or the folder in which it is located) is marked as read-only, or you specified that you wanted to open this file read-only."
This error message occurs because an Access project is strictly a client and has no multi-user capability. The workaround for this issue is to deploy a copy of the .adp file or .ade file to each computer.

The customer says that they are phasing out workstations with local hard drives and they don't want the users to have personal shared folders on the WAN.

My Question --

Is there a solution that will allow an Access 2000 project file to work?

Could it be that an MDB file is the answer? I don’t want to bring a lot of data down to the client in the form of linked tables.

Perhaps I should design the app using Access 2000 MDB with no linked tables and use unbound forms with ADO recordsets. If I do this design then I might as well use VB6 or VB.NET to build a shared common EXE file.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

C

 

[cmmrfrds]

I implemented a project that used Citrix, the same thing can be done with Terminal Services. It still involves each user with a separate copy of the adp on the server, but they can run the app from a thin client or VPN. Maybe your client would be open to this type of implementation. I set up a bat file on the citrix server to copy an updated adp over to each user any time there is a change to the app. This type of solution would not stress the customers WAN, but you may need multiple Citrix or Terminal servers if you have hundreds of users.

 

[Steve101]

You can get round this problem by using the /runtime command line option on an ade file. For example:
[tt]
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" C:\_IntegratecPDProject\System\YourApplication.ade [red]/runtime[/red]
[/tt]
Having said that, Microsoft do not recommend using shared client adp databases, though I must say, I have run a couple of these without problem for some time.

A better approach though is as cmmrfrds has suggested; use a batch file to copy a client to each workstation. A good solution can be found in thread thread958-619535, with credit for this solution to JeremyNYC.


Steve Lewy
Solutions Developer
steve@lewycomputing.com.au
(dont cut corners or you'll go round in circles)

 

[yaya013]

why not to work with access 2000 mdb/mde ???
and then you have no problem.

i do not see the big advantage of access project ADP

 

[Steve101]

yay013:

When you need to write "high performing" Access applications against "native" SQL Server applications without the need to connect to the database using ODBC and/or using passthrough queries, then you'll start to appreciate the "power" of ADPs.

Steve Lewy
Solutions Developer
steve@lewycomputing.com.au
(dont cut corners or you'll go round in circles)