Access 97 with access 2000 DB

[Wendy]

I had Access97 installed on Windows2000 OS. For school, I
have been sent a database to use that appears to have been
created in a Access2000, which of course Access 97 will
not let me open. I have been told that I should be able to
use this database without having the Access program
installed, so I have uninstalled the Access 97 from my
computer, but I am still unable to open the file - its
looking for a program to use to open it. The file is
a .mdb

I tested this file on another computer with Windows XP OS
that does not have Access installed and was able to
successfully open the file - but because (assumption) the
program is not installed, I cannot convert the file to
Access97 format.

So I guess what I am looking for is, 1) is there some type
of update that I need to install in order to use this
program if I reinstall access 97 OR 2) is there some type
of component/driver/whatever that may have been removed
when I uninstalled the program that is not allowing me to
open it and what is it and how do I get it?

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks
Wendy

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Sorry: you can't use an Access 2000 database from Access 97. You'll have to
get someone with Access 2000 installed to convert it for you (under Tools |
Database Utilities | Convert)

I don't understand, though, what you mean that you were able to open it on
another computer that doesn't have Access installed. If you don't have
Access installed, you cannot open an MDB. It's possible that the other
computer has the Small Business Edition of Office installed: I believe that
version of Office includes the run-time version of Access which, as you've
already discovered, will allow you to open an MDB, but not make any changes
to it.

 

[Wendy]

You are correct about the other computer, it does have SB
edition of Office 2000, and so does the original computer
where I had installed Access97. What I ended up having to
do to get this to work (thanks to your information about
the Office suite having run time Access available) is
reinstall Office 2000. The only complaint I have about
doing that is that the component for the run time Access
wasnt made clear in the list of installable programs from
the SETUP function, so I ended up installing the whole
thing, leaving me with a lot of stuff that wont be of use
to me. But at least I can use the database
Thanks again
Wendy