Access 97 + Windows 7

Question

The only promising instructions I found include an update of the SR, but to do that the instructions say I must move the Tahoma fonts out of the way first. I am unable to rename, delete, or move these though, because they are "system fonts." Sure enough, the SR2 process bombs out, and looking at the log, it looks like the Tahoma font is the culprit.

So, I need a process that I can use to install Access 97 on a Windows 7 PC, so that we can run our older programs, until such a time where we might be able to update them.

Answer 1

As a general rule, this works:

Disable any virus software you have (Access is NOW very old – many virus programs thus see such an older install as a virus).

Disable all UAC prompts (turn it off).

Don't allow the 97 disk to auto start.

When you right click on setup.exe, choose run as administrator.

The above quite much does the trick for me – and is really quite much the standard steps you want to take when installing such older software.

You can always consider XP mode which will work for sue.

Surprisingly, however, you can install such an older program on a new computer – including a x64 OS

And Access 97 programs can be consumed and run by Access 2003 for example. So jumping to Access 2003, and THEN jumpoing to say Access 2010 is certainly a better road of "steps" here.

You don't really want to "leave" such important software running on such an older version, since over time things start to add up that can bite you.

After all, how many other 16 year old systems are you running now? Are you running other programs on that computer that are this old? And if you are not, then why single out Access for this lack of consideration here?) If this is important software, then you want to spend the time to maintain such software and KEEP it viable. Really not different then trying to run a old car that is need of repair - you going to wake up one day and find the car does not start.

In fact, I found that virtually all of my Access 97 code works and runs fine in Access 2010.

So an upgrade to run on later editions should not really cause any problems, and you likely should set aside a test machine, and try this idea.

It is quite remarkable that such 16 year old software will run quite well in say a recent version of Access like say Access 2010.

So you should not and really do not need to continue using access 97.

However, in a pinch, you should be able to install 97 on a new box without issues, but such a clock is ticking.

Best regards,

Albert D. Kallal (Access MVP)

Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Answer 2

Have you seen, followed: http://nwsmith.blogspot.ca/2010/07/running-access-97-on-windows-7.html