I’m moving an application from Access 2003 on Windows XP to Access 2013 on Windows 7

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When using Access 2003 on Windows XP, if within my Access application I would open Form A, then Form B, the Form C, I can see all three open forms in my Task Bar at the bottom of the screen, simply clicking one of the open forms in the Task Bar would bring the form in question into to focus.

When using Access 2013 on Windows 7, after opening the same three forms I only have one Access entry in the Task Bar at the bottom of the screen that doesn’t seem to do anything.

What do I have to do in Access 2013 on Windows 7 to get the same Access 2003 on Windows XP functionality as described above?

Thanks, John
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Much of what you are seeing was introduced in Access 2007, and Transitioning Your Existing … Apps to 2007 describes the changes and how to best work with the new concept. One that you might consider is using tabbed forms, and they work so you can jump from form to form. Note that Dialog style forms still will show up when you ALT-TAB through the list of open apps – but not as nice as showing them on the task bar. The issue with the older design was that you could get so many apps open – i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook and an Access app along with lots of other things and it became difficult to find as the size of them shrank. Hope this will give you some guidance on how to proceed. Bear in mind that 2013 (and the about to be released 2016) have introduced some further changes in how forms behave, depending on the design of your forms, and the security features introduced in 2007 and enhances in 2010 and 2013 will need to be understood.

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Thanks for the clarification

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John,

I think what WendellB meant by “tabbed forms” was the Access option>Current Database for Document Windows Options for Tabbed Documents. This is for all documents not just forms. It also includes reports, and queries.

41575-DocumentWindowOptions.

I have found that a lot of users like the new Tabbed Documents. It puts all open documents (form, re0ports, etc) in tabs at the top of the Document window. They say it is nice on large monitors for the do no have to go “all the way down to the bottom of the screen”. They like it better than the XP and 2003 way on the task bar.

For my users with large monitors, I show them how to move the taskbar to the top of the screen. They like it because it is more like a menu. It is my preferred way also. Also solved some of the Access issues with forms displaying behind the task bar in Winows7/8/2008.

TIP of the Day:

You do not have to convert the 2003 .mdb to the new ACE .accdb format. It may actually run better as a .mdb. When Access processes a .accdb/.accdb is is a lot pickers with the VBA and events being used properly. Code that worked in the .mdb will break in the .accdb format. So lots of testing will be required once you convert to the .accdb format.

Hopefully your database is split int a front end and back end. This will make the conversion much easier. It will allow you to have fully test the new front end after it is converted with a test back end.

When you do finally decide to convert the .mdb to a .accdb I would not let access convert it. I have converted 100’s of databases.
This is what I finds works best also:

1) create a new blank .accdb
2) import all the object form the .mdb. TIP: You may need to use the advanced option to get everything you need.
3) open the VBA Editor (ctrl-g) and set all the required references.
4) compile
5) compact

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You can find additional information about your question: http://allenbrowne.com/ser-48.html

Thew link you posted was for Access 97 to 200/2002/2003. Not 2007 and later.

This is the link for 2003 to 2007 and later: http://allenbrowne.com/Access2007.html

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