How do you allow multiple users to open an Access database

[jeremy.bird]

Ok here is my situation. We have an access database 2003 where the
tables are linked to csv files. So in essence the tables are links to
csv files. We have a form that the databse opens to where users can
query the information in the linked tables. The problem we are running
into is that when user A open the database and user B tries to open the
database we get and error microsoft jet database ending cannot open
the file ... something about being exclusively locked by another user.
My questions are as follows

1) how can you set the permissions to alow for multiple users to access
the database at the same time. The users in the above situation are
only querying the data and not writing anything back....

2) I looked through numerous help topics and made sure that the folder
that the access db resides in is full access.....What else could cause
this?

3) Are there permissions we need to set in the VBA code to allow
multiple users to access the database at the same time

Thanks in advance.

 

[Chicagoboy27]

Thanks for the response....

I checked the default open mode and it is set to shared.

I checked the user permisions on the folder where the file is located
and everyon has full access to the files.

I rechecked the folder where the file resides and it is not set to
readonly.....

I am really stumped here.... you got any other suggestions

 

[Ricoy-Chicago]

Do you really have a front-end, back-end files?

Thanks for the response....

I checked the default open mode and it is set to shared.

I checked the user permisions on the folder where the file is located
and everyon has full access to the files.

I rechecked the folder where the file resides and it is not set to
readonly.....

I am really stumped here.... you got any other suggestions

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

We have an access database 2003 where the

tables are linked to csv files. So in essence the tables are links to
csv files.

csv files are text files. they are not multi-user, so, you are barking up
the wrong tree if you think
that a text file sitting on the hard drive is going to be multi-user. They
are not..and can't be
used as such...

You will need to import those csv files into ms-access.

 

[Chicagoboy27]

So the bottom line is since the tables are linked to text files there
is no way for multiple instances of the database accessing these
records at the same time. The only way to over come this is to pull the
tables into access so the forms can then access the data.

Thanks

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

So the bottom line is since the tables are linked to text files there
is no way for multiple instances of the database accessing these
records at the same time. The only way to over come this is to pull the
tables into access so the forms can then access the data.

You might get access, but you certainly don't get update ability...

So, to be clear, you can't have multi-user update access to those
files..but, I would think it is possible to have multiple users with read
only to this data....

 

[Rick Brandt]

You might get access, but you certainly don't get update ability...

So, to be clear, you can't have multi-user update access to those
files..but, I would think it is possible to have multiple users with
read only to this data....

I wouldn't be suprised if even that didn't work with text files. I can't open a
text file in notepad outside Access if the same file is in an open link in
Access.

 

[Chicagoboy27]

thanks for the replies. As for the users to access the files that is
all that they would need to do.. There are no updates... All they would
be doing is running a query against the tables via a form..... I will
continue to look into this and keep you posted if I find anything....

Thanks

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Excel is not multi-user, and can't be edited as such.

You really owe yourselves the correct approach here. Money and time wasted
on these things could be used to feed the poor.

Simply put, if you need multi user access to data, you have to move it out
of excel, or place a copy of that Excel sheet on EACH computer....

 

[aaron.kempf]

use SQL Server and Access Data Projects

instead of building it on a budget database; do it in a real scalable
database engine.

Access MDB has not nor will it ever-- effectively consume large amounts
of ram or processor.

it's just an incredibly inefficient system..

things like a real query engine can REALLY REALLY help performance.
and if your users want data in Excel format; just give it to them via
Analysis Services... PIVOT TABLES ON STEROIDS.

there's a whole new language of SQL it's called MDX.. MDX is
abbreviation for 'Multi-Dimensional Expression'

I can query a friggin trillion rows; if it's properly designed-- and
have sub-second response times.

PRECALCULATE MULTIDIMENSIONAL PROCESSING.

build a couple of views; you don't need a whole datamart anymore; just
maybe a dozen views LoL

-Aaron



-Aaron

 

[aaron.kempf]

ACCESS_MDB is not multi-user, and can't be edited as such.

You really owe yourselves the correct approach here. Money and time
wasted
on these things could be used to feed the poor.


-Aaron
ADP Nationalist

 

[aaron.kempf]

I just think that action queries-- Insert Update Delete; and a good
where clause-- can get you almost anywhere you need.

I really suggest you run through each of those queries; and get to know
them

I think that crunching data.. shaping it-- changing the # of rows;
doing calculations-- I think that is about 1000 times more powerful on
the database side than in Excel..

but I guess nobody was asking me.. right?

-Aaron
PS - I love Access