Sharing Access databases

Yes the explanation is simple. Access does not work well with OneDrive.

The answer is to link your computers in a network. I suspect that you have a wireless router that your computers are connected to. So just set to share a folder on one or the other machine or get a NAS drive. 

Then split the Access database and install the back end in the shared folder and the front end on each PC. Then you can share the back end and both work on it.

Well, actually if you open a Excel file, or word file?

It is also downloaded. You can then make changes. And then when you save, it is sent back up to that "drive in the sky".

The only real difference? Is word, or say power-point is a WHOLE document that you can modify. So the load from that drive in the sky, and the save is automatic. (because the WHOLE file is in your computers memory).

Access is different. It requires that the file be on your drive. And when you update a ONE row, then only PART of the file is modified. So it has to run on your local drive as a copy.

However, if during the time you edit that Excel file, or word file? And someone else opens that file? Then the last person out and saving that file WILL over write everyone's changes.

 so, really not a lot different here. The only real change is that during operation, Access needs that local file. When you are done you can save it back up to that shared drive - and just like Excel or whatever? The last person out is going to over-write everyone's changes.

As noted, Word or Excel works somewhat better, since it ALWAYS loads the whole file into memory. Access does not. This is why the time to open a file with 2 rows, or a file with 1 million rows of data is the same! Access files are opened, and THEN you can pull or edit data from inside that file - and unlike word/excel etc.? Access does not load the whole file and lets you modify say ONLY one row of data. it works this way for reasons of performance, since then you can update 1 row of data out of 1 million rows, and it will occur instant.

In say word, or Excel? You can't modify just ONE row - you have to load the WHOLE document, and you change that one tiny row, and then you save the  WHOLE file again.

But, Access does not load the file into memory - hence it requires that you have a local copy. Of course once done, you can then re-save back up to that drive. So what is somewhat different is access does not load + save the file to/from that drive for you - it needs a local copy to use + work against while you make changes. Once you are done, and close the file, then you can save it back up to the drive.

due to the above? Then more then one user can't work on or edit that Access file at the same time. however, on a local network? You can have more then one user working at the same time on that one file - it is allowed. 

Regards,

Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP 2003-2017)

Edmonton, Alberta Canada

You should not run or share an Access database on any online drive (OneDrive, Dropbox, GoogleDrive, ...).  Access does not work over the Internet, WANs, and/or wireless networks reliably.

Either you need to download it locally, do your work and then upload the updated version or you need to use an alternate sharing approach such as those elaborated in https://www.devhut.net/2016/09/24/access-back-end-location-wan-online-server-onedrive-dropbox/