I am learning to develop (anything) with Access. At work I have created a front end/back end contacts database. (It took over a month an half because of the learning process!).....

Anyway, so I am about done with this thing and after converting the MDB file to 2000 format (that is the lowest version that is running on any of the computers that will use this), the damn thing doesn't work.

Is there some kind of reference that I need to download and install on the destination computers...Is there something I can download to incorporate with my MDB file so it will run on older versions...

In reality, I would like to make it an MDE file and distribute it to my co-workers. Is there some way to do this?

You haven’t really said what the problem is, so it will be approximately equal to impossible for anyone to render you any assistance.

Please “unpack” the statement “the d--n thing doesn't work.” The specific failure will have much to do with what would remedy it.

You say that you have a front-end — back-end arrangement, but you refer to “it” as “this thing.” But it is 2 things, isn’t it? So right away I find myself wondering whether it is the front-end that is causing propblems (whatever they may be), or the back-end, you see.

My apologies...frustration....

The problem is with the front end. I developed the application in Access 2002, however in the the 2000 format.

The application works fine, gets, saves and deletes records from a machine with Access 2002 or higher. The issues are run into are when I try and run the app on a machine with Access 2000.

The first error I get is with a combo box. Specifically, I get an error that states "method or property not recognized". This error is in reference to the combo box's add and remove item methods.

I get the same error with a list box.

I am guessing, but I think the problem is with the different references. The machine with Access 2000 has MS Access Objects 9.0 versus Access 2002 has 10.0 and Access 2003 has 11.0, etc.

I tried to copy the MSACC.olb library from my systems Office 10 directory and paste it into a shared folder. After that I tried to add in the reference on the machine with the 2000. The other references I added worked, but I still could not get the MS Access Objects 10.0 reference into the list.


I don't know if that is the issue or what. Is it even possible to add in a library from an newer version of access?

It looks like you used objects on the form that do not exist in the earlier version of Access.
I'm not sure how you would overcome this...

First I would try creating a simple form in 2000 whith the suspect controls on it, then import that form into a newer DB and see if the behavior is different in the two IDEs.

In the earlier version, look in object browser to see which libraries are mentioned (and their file locations/names) and see if you can add to the newer version references that you found in the older version. (You probably won't due to name collisions.

There is the possibility that you will not be able to overcome this. In that case, I think your only solution will be to deploy the frontend as an application through making an installable package (SetUp.exe, and associated stuff), and actually install it on the machines that need to run it.