Error in Loading DLL

[John Reichard]

I hope this is the correct newsgroup to post my problem.
I have a front-end Access 97 database that I am trying to
convert to a .mde file. When I try to save it as a .mde
file, I get the following error: "Error in Loading DLL".
It does not list a specific DLL file, so I have no idea
what is wrong and how to fix it.

I have analyzed the database and I do not have any VB
code or modules in the database (everything is done
through macros). I've even uninstalled Access and
reinstalled it, thinking that something might be wrong
with Access itself. Nothing has worked. I've run out of
ideas so I'm hoping that someone out there can help me.
Thanks.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

While looking at some form in design mode...hit ctrl-g.

This jumps you to the Visual Basic system.

Now..go debug->compile

(I think..the above is actually compile and save all).

Can you compile your database that way? (if the above does not work..then
often it stops where the offending code is). And, you CAN NOT create a mde
until the save and compile all works first....

So, give the above a try...do you get a better error message?

 

[Guest]

Albert. I did what you suggested and the database
compiled with no errors. Then I tried to make the .mde
file and I got the same ambiguous error message. If only
it would give me what specific dll file was the problem,
I could maybe attack it from that angle. Just to give
you as much information as possible, I also have the
Developers Edition of Office 97 installed. I have no
idea if that might be affecting things or not. Thanks
for your help.

John

 

[John Reichard]

Albert. I just thought of something else. I have set up
user and group permissions so a user cannot change the
design of forms, reports, etc. Could this be the problem?

John

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

If it's an MDE, they can't change the forms and reports anyhow.

Do you get the error on your machine, or is it only once you distribute the
MDE to other machines? If the latter, it's probably a references problem:
one or more library files is different between the two environments.

Once again, go into the VBE as Albert suggested by using Ctrl-G. This time,
select Tools | References from the menu bar. Look at each of the checked
references. As you select each one, it'll show you what file it refers to.
Write down each file name. If you can't determine each file, try the
following code in a module (you don't even have to save the module once
you've run it)

Sub ListReferences()
Dim refCurr As Reference

For Each refCurr In Application.References
Debug.Print refCurr.Name & ": " & refCurr.FullPath
Next refCurr

End Sub

Once you know each of the files being used, determine the exact version on
your machine (select the file in Windows Explorer, right-click on it, select
the Properties option and then the Version tab). Go to each of the user
machines. Make sure the exact same version of the file exists in the exact
same location.

 

[John Reichard]

Doug:

Thanks. I get the error on my machine as I try to save
the .mdb file as a .mde file. The database has not been
distributed yet. I have created a test database with a
simple table and form and it converts without the error
message showing up. So either it is the permissions I
have set up (I'm going to try to take them out and see if
it works) or somewhere I have some hidden code that I
don't know about. But I don't know how to check other
than what I have done so far. Since I have Compiled and
Saved all Modules without any errors, I'm assuming that
if I did have some hidden code, it is correct. Thank you
for your help and any further advice you or anyone else
can give me. It's starting to get a little frustrating.

John

 

[John Reichard]

Doug:

I got into the database again and just started looking
around, running the Analyzer and checking on options and
so forth. Under Tools, Options, I selected Show System
Objects and Show Hidden Objects. When I did, I noticed
that I have several Tables that I can now see. I do not
see any new Forms, Queries, Reports, Macros, or Modules.
The new Tables all start off with MSys. Two of the
tables are called MSysModules and MSysModules2. Could
this be the source of my problem?

John

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

No: the tables starting MSys are system tables, and are critical to the
application working. DO NOT TRY TO DO ANYTHING TO THEM!

 

[John Reichard]

Doug:

I thought as much. I didn't do anything with them. I
searched the help files on .mde files and it said that if
I have a database that this ones references, that I would
also have to save that as a .mde file. So since I have
a "back-end" database, I thought that this would solve my
problem. I was able to convert the back-end database
to .mde without any errors. Then I re-established the
links between the tables in my front-end to the tables in
the new .mde database. So far so good. Then I went to
save the front-end as a .mde file and I still got the
same error message. Looks like I hit another brick wall.

John

 

[Joan Wild]

PMFJI, but your original message said "I do not have any VB code or modules
in the database (everything is done through macros)."

What do you hope to accomplish by converting to a mde (That will have no
effect on tables, queries, or macros). Also making a mde out of your
backend mdb had no effect.

 

[John Reichard]

Joan:

The reason that I'm trying to convert my database to
a .mde file is that about a week ago I posted a message
asking if there was a way for me to create just one
version of my software (say with Access 97) and have it
work for users that have Access 2000, 2002, and 2003
without me having to create four different versions. I
was told that if I created a .mde file, that anyone using
Access 97 or after could open the file without having to
convert the file (which would not be possible because of
the user permissions I have set up).

John

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

I believe you were misinformed.

I just tried opening an Access 97 MDE in Access 2003, and it won't work. You
get an error message "You can't convert or enable an MDE file." I don't have
Access 2000 nor Access 2002 installed on this machine, so I can't test with
them, but I'd expect their behaviour to be the same.

 

[Joan Wild]

Yep, confirmed with 2002 trying to open a 97 mde - same message.

 

[John Reichard]

Then back to my original question....If I have end users
that might have Access 97, 2000, 2002, 2003, or no
version at all, I will need to create 5 different
versions of my database (one of them being a runtime
version)??? There has to be a better way of distributing
it. And for those who suggest SageKey, I have already
contacted them. But at a cost of $425, it will take me
probably a couple of years for me to recoup the cost.
I'm not making a mint with this software, just a little
hobby of mine. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
everyone.

John

 

[Tom Wickerath]

John,

Sorry, I guess I gave you some incorrect information last week when I stated that you could open
an Access 97 .mde file in later versions of Access. I thought I had remembered that it would
work okay. Turns out that you can open an Access 2000 .mde file in Access 2002 without any such
error message. I suspect that you can open an Access 2000 .mde file in Access 2003 as well,
although I cannot test this because I haven't bought Office 2003. So, it looks like you'll have
to have two flavors of your front-end database: An Access 97 .mde for your Access 97 users, and
an Access 2000 .mde for your Access 2000, 2002 and 2003 users. I don't think you'll need to
create 5 different versions.

Tom
_______________________________________


Then back to my original question....If I have end users
that might have Access 97, 2000, 2002, 2003, or no
version at all, I will need to create 5 different
versions of my database (one of them being a runtime
version)??? There has to be a better way of distributing
it. And for those who suggest SageKey, I have already
contacted them. But at a cost of $425, it will take me
probably a couple of years for me to recoup the cost.
I'm not making a mint with this software, just a little
hobby of mine. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
everyone.

John

 

[John Reichard]

Tom:

No problem. So I guess I'm back to the problem of
getting the .mde file to convert. I do have Access 2000,
so once I figure out what is wrong, I can create an
Access 2000 .mde file. If anyone has any more
suggestions to solve my problem I'd love to hear it.
Beyond that, is it possible to arrange for someone to
actually look at the database and try to convert it
themselves? It's probably not the norm, but I really
need to get this solved. Thanks.

John

-----Original Message-----
John,

Sorry, I guess I gave you some incorrect information

last week when I stated that you could open

an Access 97 .mde file in later versions of Access. I

thought I had remembered that it would

work okay. Turns out that you can open an Access

2000 .mde file in Access 2002 without any such

error message. I suspect that you can open an Access

2000 .mde file in Access 2003 as well,

although I cannot test this because I haven't bought

Office 2003. So, it looks like you'll have

to have two flavors of your front-end database: An

Access 97 .mde for your Access 97 users, and

an Access 2000 .mde for your Access 2000, 2002 and 2003

users. I don't think you'll need to

 

[Brian Kastel]

If I may ask, how many users are you anticipating for this application? I
know you stated that you're doing this as a hobby, but if that is the case,
then why the need for such version-independent compatibility? Also, how
complex is the database in terms of its tables and relationships? Is it
really necessary to have the application split into front- and back-ends?
Finally, have you looked into leaving it as an mdb file and distributing it
with the Access runtime, or are there compatibility issues between the
runtime and installed versions that I am not educated about?

 

[John Reichard]

Brian:

So far I have about 20 users. But I'm anticipating that
there could be as many as 100 or more. In case you
haven't figured it out, I'm selling this database. So I
want to make sure that everyone can use the database,
whether they have Access or not on their computer.
Therefore, I seem to be stuck with the prospect of
creating a different version for every scenario. As for
distributing the runtime version, I've heard of some
problems installng the runtime version of say Access 97
if the user has the full program of a later version of
Access installed on their computer. Also, the reason I
have split the database into two is that it will allow me
to offer updated versions of the software (forms,
reports, etc.) without harming the user's data. I have
about 65 queries and forms, 160 macros, 20 reports, and
15 tables.

John

 

[Brian Kastel]

Well, John, the reason I asked those questions is because I believe that any
Jet database application of that magnitude is better written using VB. I
remember you stating that your db doesn't use code (and I remember cringing
when I read that), so this ideal is not likely to please you. Nevertheless,
I think it is a better solution for you. VB will interface with your
database tables and queries as easily as Access, and you create the forms
and reports, including bound controls. You'll have much more control over
the finished application, and with some fair amount of UI work, you'll have
a much more polished application without the baggage. Third-party controls
can help to eliminate much of your work, too.

Just MHO, tho. You'll notice I have no credentials.

When I reach a point where I feel that I have maxed out Access's
capabilities as an application interface, I take it over to VB. I even
wrote a program some years ago that would read the table structure of an mdb
file and create VB code that would generate the same structure on the fly.
I pasted this code into the application if I wanted it to create a default
database when or if the application database could not be found. (I was
using Access 2.0 and VB3 at the time, so that little program would require
some serious updating, today!)

Sorry I can't offer anything more substantial and pertinent. I hope you do
well with your venture, however.


Brian:

So far I have about 20 users. But I'm anticipating that
there could be as many as 100 or more. In case you
haven't figured it out, I'm selling this database. So I
want to make sure that everyone can use the database,
whether they have Access or not on their computer.
Therefore, I seem to be stuck with the prospect of
creating a different version for every scenario. As for
distributing the runtime version, I've heard of some
problems installng the runtime version of say Access 97
if the user has the full program of a later version of
Access installed on their computer. Also, the reason I
have split the database into two is that it will allow me
to offer updated versions of the software (forms,
reports, etc.) without harming the user's data. I have
about 65 queries and forms, 160 macros, 20 reports, and
15 tables.

 

[Tom Wickerath]

Beyond that, is it possible to arrange for someone to

actually look at the database and try to convert it
themselves?

Sure, I'll take a crack at it if you send me a copy. I'll provide a *real* e-mail address in a
private message to you.

Tom
_____________________________________


Tom:

No problem. So I guess I'm back to the problem of
getting the .mde file to convert. I do have Access 2000,
so once I figure out what is wrong, I can create an
Access 2000 .mde file. If anyone has any more
suggestions to solve my problem I'd love to hear it.
Beyond that, is it possible to arrange for someone to
actually look at the database and try to convert it
themselves? It's probably not the norm, but I really
need to get this solved. Thanks.

John

-----Original Message-----
John,

Sorry, I guess I gave you some incorrect information

last week when I stated that you could open

an Access 97 .mde file in later versions of Access. I

thought I had remembered that it would

work okay. Turns out that you can open an Access

2000 .mde file in Access 2002 without any such

error message. I suspect that you can open an Access

2000 .mde file in Access 2003 as well,

although I cannot test this because I haven't bought

Office 2003. So, it looks like you'll have

to have two flavors of your front-end database: An

Access 97 .mde for your Access 97 users, and

an Access 2000 .mde for your Access 2000, 2002 and 2003

users. I don't think you'll need to