Multiple User Problems (Access 97 SR-2)

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Hi

I’m having a problem with multiple access to my db, even though the default open mode settings under Tools-Options-Advanced are set to shared access.

Trying to open a second instance of the db generates the following errors:

1. “Microsoft Access can’t change the working directory to “l:blahblahusernameblah”. Verify that the drive is valid and the path is 260 characters or less in length”

2. The Microsoft Jet Database engine cannot open the file “Lblahblahblahmydb.mdb”. It is already opened exclusively by another user or you need permission to view its data”

I am not opening the db via a shortcut and have not made any changes to the .mdw file. I suspect that this may be related to NT as I don’t get the same messages when I open via my laptop (Windows 95).

Can anyone help!

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You say multiple user problem in your message header, but are you really talking about opening a 2nd instance of Access on the same computer? And is the database on your PC or a network server?

Sometimes the “problem” may be the .ldb file, and not really the .mdb file. I’d check to see if the .ldb file was getting deleted after all users are out of database. If not, then delete it. Also check you permissions to the directory. You really need full permissions.

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Since this is being shared over a network, the users must use the same mapped drive letter to point to the computer where your database resides. In other words, if the database is on a server named XYZ, and user number one has this mapped as I:XYZ, but user number two has it mapped as L:XYZ, you will have the problem you described. You need to consult with everyone who will use this database, and come up with a common mapped drive letter (everyone has XYZ mapped to the same letter).

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I disagree about all users having to map to the same network drive letter. Assuming you are on a Windows NT network (and others may work similarly), find the network server under “Network Neighborhood”, “Entire Network”, “Microsoft Windows Network”, and then your server name. If you have a front-end, back-end database combination, then when you link the tables in the back-end database to the front-end database, don’t use the drive letter, but navigate through the linked table wizard to the same location as found under explorer. This will also work with Novell Netware, however, the option is not “Microsoft Windows Network”, but is “Novell Servers”.

If you create a shortcut to startup the application, you should place the UNC name of the server in the shortcut, and not the drive letter. Then anyone can start up the application and use it, no matter how the server is mapped, or even if the server is not mapped at all (assuming of course that they have access rights to the server).

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Oh, I forgot, you also need to put the server UNC name in the path to the MDW file to make the application drive letter independent.

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