Hello. I have an Access .ade client that communicates with SQL Server on our network. It is a hassle when we make structural changes to the client application because I need to go to each users machine and install the updated client. What would be great is when a new version of the client is available (some specified place on the network?), it would somehow automatically replace the old version of the client with the new one on the users machine without much input from the user. Does anyone know an easy way to do this?

Thanks for any help,

LH

Hi LH,

Front end updater scripts and utilities abound on google and news list archives. A lot of people just place a short cut on the client that runs a batch file. Here's a couple of approahes I've tucked away:

From Andrew Haslett:

We just use this simple batch script:

***********************************************
*@echo off
*if not exist "c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Data\MyDB_V1.mde" goto
getdb:
goto startdb
:getdb
*md "c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Data" >nul
*del "c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Data\MyDB_V*.mde" >nul
*copy l:\master\MyDB_V1.mde "c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Data" >nul
*:startdb
*"c:\program files\microsoft office\office\msaccess.exe" "c:\Documents and
Settings\All Users\Data\MyDB_V1.mde"
**********************************************

The database in this example is called MYDB_V1.mde. When I create a new version, following conventions, it will be called v1.1 or v2 etc, so we simply change the name in the script.

The shortcut on all users desktops points to this shortcut.

From Bill Mosca:

Is this on a network? If so and assuming that the FE is installed in the same place on everyone's PC, have your network people send out a shortcut to write the new file over the old one.

I had a project once where the FE changed constantly, basically because the finance department was always asking for new features. The FE contained a local version table plus a version table which was linked to the latest version on a server.

On opening, the FE ran a function that checked to see if the version numbers matched. If they did not, an update message was displayed and a small utility mde was opened. The FE then shut down. The utility copied the new file over the old one and then re-opened the FE before closing itself. The only requirement is that the FE be installed in the same place on everyone's PC or you have to add code to look for the file.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You might also check out Tony Towe's FE Updater Utility to automate the process at:

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/autofe.htm

HTH,

Bob

Thanks for the suggestions. This helps alot