File Not Found Error

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My organization is in the process of upgrading it’s remote sites from Windows 95 to Windows 2000 (SP-1 5.00.2195). This process is being accomplished by reimaging the PCs involved. There have been sporadic occasions after the upgrade where the end users are unable to access an application that I have developed. The application is a simple Access 2000 database (.mde front end and a .mdb back end). The path is c:program filesproduce pricing system. The user can look at the files in windows explorer however once they attempt to open the file they receive a file not found error. The most common scenario is on PCs with multiple users, where one user can access the program and others cannot.

I am assuming that this is a Windows 2000 issue dealing with permissions that the deployers are not setting up correctly during the installation, however since I am the point of contact for the application, I’m the one who’s getting the frantic calls from the end user.

Any ideas as to what’s causing this and how to prevent/resolve this problem in the future?

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“Reimaging” and “sporadic” is definitely a nonsequitur… The first thing I suspect when an plainly visible file cannot be found is that the File Types command string is not tolerant of spaces in file and folder names. This typically is fixed by having quotation marks around the path parameter, as shown in the attached. (In Windows 2000’s Windows Explorer, choose Tools > Folder Options… > File Types tab > select MDE > Advanced… > select Open > Edit…)

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I checked the file type command string and it does contain “%1”. It is the .mde file that is not found (see attached screen shot). There is no workgroup security file associated with the application, just the front end (Produce Pricing System.mde) and back end database (Produce_BE.mdb). A few more pieces of the puzzle: 1) I had no difficulty opening the .mdb file. 2) I attempted to rename the .mde file and received a message stating that the file was in use. This would also happen if I attempted to copy or delete it through Windows Explorer. 3) I could delete the file using the delete function of my remote access software (Timbuktu Pro). 4) If I upload the the .mde file to the remote computer from my PC the user that is currently logged in can open the application without difficulty (however, if another user subsequently logs in they receive the file not found error. 5) It truly is a sporadic problem, of approximately 150 locations where the PCs have been upgraded to Windows 2000, this problem has only occurred at 4-5.

Thanks,

Vernon

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Does it help to reinstall the application with the currently logged in user?

And each of the users are using Access 2000 to open the database files, correct (and not previous version of Access which don’t play well)

Lastly, are we sure that the files are not contained within an encrypted folder directory with EFS enabled? File/Folder properties, Advanced, Advanced Attributes, “Uncheck encrypt contents to secure data”

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If the application is reinstalled the user who was logged in at the time of the installation can access the program. Someone who then logs in under a different user ID will receive the file not found message. All users would be using Access 2000 (9.0.3821 SR-1). The “Encrypt contents to secure data” box was unchecked. Two more pieces of information that may help. If you start Access first and then try to open the .mde file, you receive a slightly different error message: “The Microsoft Jet database engine cannot open the file ‘C:program filesproduce pricing systemproduce pricing system.mde.’ It is already opened exclusively by another user or you need permission to view it’s data. Also, I noticed that under security properties that nothing is checked under CREATOR/OWNER (see attached .jpg).

Vernon

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I’ve seen this problem occur with other database applications which require the application to be reinstalled when diferent users login on that machine.

If you fiddle with the security settings for the applicable application registry keys, perhaps this may steer you towards a solution?

We never got it to work for multiple users on the same machine, but perhaps you could export some registry keys for the application (HKEY_Current_UserSoftwarexxxxx) for a working user, and then run/process these REG files for the next logged in user to see if it helps any?

Good luck

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In the db code are you using Set dbsAg = opendatabase(“CurretnDB.mdb”) or Set db = CurrentDB.mdb

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On second thought, do you know what file is not being found? Maybe the workgroup security file (.mdw)? I probably was hasty in assuming the MDE was the file that was not found…

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