Backward Compatability (2000/97)

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Yeah, Yeah! I know! Not backward compatible.
But I have 100’s of Access97 databases that I would really like to be able to work on at home with 2000
and return to the users at work in 97

Any chance?

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As long as you don’t use any features new in Access2000 you can convert an Access2000 database back to an Access97 database at any time. The only thing you CAN’T convert back is an mde (compiled database) file. Any MDB will work just fine, though.

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What do you mean by “working” on them in 2000? In order to make design changes, you’ll have to actually convert the database to 2000 format and then convert it back to 97. Were you planning to update the 97 database at work by just replacing the front end? If so, would there be any data changes to front end tables while you were off working in 2000?

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I would need to work on the back-end table, in Access 97, with a converted front-end, Access 2000. Specifically, I want to build a table on the 2000 machine, but then copy that table to a 97 machine to continue work. What is the confidence level on these conversions?

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It isn’t clear to me exactly why you think you need to build a table on the 2000 machine. Why not build the table in 97 and simply work with it in 2000? The conversions work fairly well, but it seems to me that you’re making extra work for yourself by trying to do it this way. Keep in mind too that you will have to *replace* the Access 97 database, not just add a table to it, unless you open it in A97 and import the table from the converted 2000-to-97 database file. If you’re going to have to do that, you might as well create the table in the 97 database in the first place.

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The physical location where the table will be created is different from where the table will eventually be used, and only has an Access 2000 machine. It is a one-time problem, as use and maintenance will be done at the Access 97 machine. My thinking was to build the table (A2000), convert the database to A97, copy the db to a floppy, take it to the A97 machine, and import the table to the db on the A97 machine. Yes it is tedious, but it only has to be done once.

Sometimes these converters don’t function as one would think they should, and I am nervous about whether all of this works.

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FWIW – a while back at work they couldn’t decide whether to “standardize” on Access 97 or Access 2K so several projects were converted back & forth between the two formats. I never had problem converting a TABLE from one format to another, there’s really not much (if any) difference in table structure in A97 & A2K. Where the “issues” arose with A2K to A97 conversions was with a few queries, forms, & reports that did not convert properly to the earlier format, and had to be recreated in A97. This typically occurred with complex forms or reports with large code modules, and with queries that used complex expressions that did not always work in earlier version due to differences in the respective query engines. Some VBA code usually had to be fixed too. If you are only concerned with creating & converting TABLES to A97 you should not encounter any such problems.

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Okay I’m going to try this again

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Have you been successful in working on A97 programs on your A2000 system? I have the same problem facing me if I upgrade to A2000.

I would appreciate comments on your experiences.

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