MS Access Database

[GeekDrew]

I've dug myself into a grave again. My mom uses an Access database to keep track of her address book and mailing lists. Well, I somehow managed to get myself locked out of it. I was going to re-format the hard drive, so of course I backed up my data files, but not the windows system files. Well, I installed WinME instead of Win98, and installed Office2K instead of Office 97. Now, I get an error in Access whenever I try to open the file. It tells me that I need to have exclusive permission to use the database, and I need to be a member of some workgroup that defines the user accounts for the database. It says that "The current user account doesn't have permission to convert or enable the database.

Can anyone PLEASE help me figure this one out? Thanks!

ST

 

[ProfessorD]

Did your mom have passwords/workgroups defined for this database? If so, then the following advice may not work....

The error has to do with the fact that Access 2000 will try to convert an earlier version of the database the first time it's opened. I have worked around this issue at work by keeping both A97 and A2000 installed on my system.

If reinstalling A97 is out of the question, then I may suggest 2 other approaches which *might* work.

Approach one:

If the database was not password protected, then navigate to the location where the file is, and look for a 1 Kb file that is named the same as the database, but ends with the extension .ldb (instead of .mdb). This is the locking database file that may still be around causing the problem. Delete this file, and then try to open in A2000.

Approach two:

1) Create a new blank database in A2000.
2) Select File, Get External Data, Import
3) Navigate to and select the original A97 database file.
4) Select ALL of the objects to import....tables, queries, forms, reports, macros and modules.
5) If successful, you should have now imported all of the objects from A97 into a new database.

Good luck!

 

[GeekDrew]

Thanks! I actually figured that one out shortly after I posted my request for help. I wasn't able to get back online and report it, though.

The importing data trick worked.

Thanks!

ST