I have a client who runs his own business and has a database of all his clients on an aeging win 95 machine, we are going to upgrade to a new pc with winxp and probably office 2003 but his old database is in Access 97. Will we be able to open the database in 2003 or will we have to modify it or will we have to start from scratch, i am not a database expert so i m looking for some help.The files for his database are all *.mdb *.mde (please clarify what mde stands for, ithink i know and definately know the resr) and *.mdl) Some of the files are the back end and some are the GUI. Some are in two folders in the root of C:\ and the others are all in two folders on the root of the J:\ (another hard disk partition. also can i merge all these files into one that is easier to manage and all on one drive?

If you need any more info then just say and i will post it otherwise i might me rambling on for no point.

Any help is much appreciated in advance.

etherz

Hi etherz,

Allen Brown's web site has a new link that covers the stuff you need to consider pretty exhaustively at:

http://members.iinet.net.au/~allenbrowne/ser-48.html

Bob

Funnily enough i have already read the link you gave me but at least i know i'm looking in the right direction. Is there a way to merge all the files together so that i can move it over to a new computer easier. Would it help if i gave you the names of all the files, their extensions and full paths.

etherz

These are all the database files i can find on the computer:

C:\CSSG DIR 05/08/2004 16:49:08
C:\DATABASE DIR 05/08/2004 15:43:40
C:\DOMESTIC DIR 05/08/2004 15:43:46


C:\CSSG
================================================== ====

C:\CSSG\Domestic Appliance Centre (Back-End).mdb 10504192 05/08/2004 16:32:50


C:\DATABASE
================================================== ========

C:\DATABASE\Copy of Domestic Appliance Centre.mdb 1628160 30/09/2003 16:20:06
C:\DATABASE\Copy of Domestic Appliance Centre.mde 1230848 30/09/2003 15:07:58
C:\DATABASE\Domestic Appliance Centre.ldb 64 05/08/2004 09:10:34
C:\DATABASE\Domestic Appliance Centre.mdb 12197888 04/08/2004 20:43:02


C:\DOMESTIC
================================================== ========

C:\DOMESTIC\Domestic Appliance Centre (Back-End).mdb 25544704 28/08/2003 18:02:08


J:
=================================================

J:\DATABASE DIR 05/08/2004 16:50:10
J:\DOMESTIC DIR 05/08/2004 16:50:34


J:\DATABASE
================================================== ========

J:\DATABASE\Domestic Appliance Centre (Back-End).mdb 25569280 05/08/2004 16:44:20
J:\DATABASE\Domestic Appliance Centre.mdb 50145280 05/08/2004 16:44:46


J:\DOMESTIC
================================================== ========

J:\DOMESTIC\Domestic Appliance Centre (Back-End).mdb 25874432 05/08/2004 16:36:10
J:\DOMESTIC\Domestic Appliance Centre (Back-End).zip 2447948 25/07/2003 16:36:16

Hope this helps

etherz

Hi etherz,

The only files you are concerned with are the .mdb files.

The .mde file is a version of Copy of Domestic Appliance Centre.mdb in which all VBA source code modules have been compiled to binary machine code (with all human-readable source code removed). If you want a .mde version of your converted 2003 database, you’ll want to create it after converting the .mdb file.

The .ldb file is a locking information file that Access uses to coordinate locking in a multi-user environment. Its always created when you open a database for shared access, and should be deleted automatically after the last user closes the database. Each user who opens the database generates an entry in it, and Access uses the list to determine which records are locked by whom. Your converted app will create its own .ldb file.

It looks like you have a single split database probably connected by linked tables:

Front-end: Domestic Appliance Centre.mdb
Back-end: Domestic Appliance Centre (Back-End).mdb

The front-end file probably contains your application objects (queries, forms, reports, modules, macros) and table links.

The back-end file probably contains your data tables.

I have no way of knowing for sure, but it appears that everything else is a copy or duplicate or compressed (.zip) version of these two primary files. If not, some one needs to revisit their naming scheme. You’d have to take a look at them to be sure.

If you wanted a single file to work with for your conversion, you could just import the backend tables into you’re front-end file, delete the links in the font-end, convert the database, them split the converted database again. Or you could just convert the front-end and back-end files separately, possibly needing to re-establish the links.

Anyway, that’s my best guess. Just be sure and back everything up a few times before converting anything. Post again is you have further questions about any of that.

HTH,

Bob

Also one set of files may be a development version and another may be a production (live data) version.

Bob

Thanks bob you have been a great help so far, yes the back end and front end info is correct, i have found that out since my last post.

C:\DATABASE\Domestic Appliance Centre.mdb
J:\DATABASE\Domestic Appliance Centre.mdb
are the only two active files.

On trying to convert or just run the database in 2003 gives an error after about 10s of startup, the error is related to vb6e.dll which is obviously the visual basic dll. I have the latest version of this dll on my system. I have tried making a new 2003 database and importing all the files, i had to make a J: otherwise the database would not run. I think the database is corrupt. I have been able to import and successfully use all the pats except the "Forms", i am currently figuring out which ones cause the error by trial and error, i am presuming by the dates of these files that some of these files are backups and i will try to import the forms from there.

Also what is the advantage of using a mde file.

Am i doing this all right or could i do it an easier way.

Many thanks again

etherz

Hi etherz,

On the possible corruption issue, I would have recommended importing your db objects into a new db also. One other thing you can try is a couple of undocumented functions that allow you to import/export form objects to/from text files.

In your original db, press alt-F11 to open the VBA editor, then ctrl-G to open the immediate window. Type the following into the immediate window:

Application.SaveAsText acForm, "YourFormName", "c:\temp\YourFormName.txt"

Then open the immediate window in your new db and type:

Application.LoadFromText acForm, "YourFormName", "c:\temp\YourFormName"

That might get your old form object into the new db in an uncorrupt state.

.mdb files are generally distributed as production front-ends as an added security measure. They protect your intellectual property by removing all human-readable code from your code modules.

HTH,

Bob

Thank you i will try this method tomorrow, althought there are 24 forms :(

Hi,

Hope this still can help in the future.

There is a tool called Advanced Access Repair. I have used it to repair many corrupt Access MDB files on my damaged disks successfully. If necessary, you can have a try.

Alan



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