Create Stand-alone form to update database

Question

We have situation that may not be solvable using Office 360 but here goes. We want to use two laptops running Office 2007 on XP SP3 so volunteers can add and update member information in our database. The database is on our network server but for some reason I cannot gain access to the shared drive. Xp to Win 7 problem? Neither laptop has Access installed.

I know one can split an Access database into two parts so that one part is just queries and forms and the other is the actual database. What can be done to create a standalone accdb compatible database using the fields in the main database and then transfer the data to the main database? 

Thank you.

Answer 1

Access is not designed to work over a wireless network. While it is technically possible, Access is very sensitive to momentary network continuity interruptions, which are unavoidable with wireless networks. Don't go there. Rather use a SQL Server back-end, such as the free Express Edition.

Answer 2

(to be blunt here for a minute) the reason the laptops cannot connect to the network is your limited understanding of networking. There is no technical reason this cannot happen. Hire an IT professional for an hour or so, and that should be taken care of.

As Scott says, going the route of collecting data offline and later synchronizing with the main database is not impossible but full of perils. It would definitely require advanced level programming expertise. And those experts would probably tell you to (1) fix your network so you don't need this at all, or (2) if you need it anyway, rely on existing technologies and don't think you can reinvent the wheel.

Answer 3

A network is NOT Win 7. Win 7 is a desktop OS, not a network OS. It can be used to create a peer to peer network, but its not considered a network OS. There should be no issues in connecting Win XP systems to a peer to peer network of mixed OSes. 

However, running Access over a wireless network is not recommended.

If you have a peer to peer network, then you need to have a shared folder that all PCs on the network can map to.

Answer 4

Good question why the notebooks won't connect. I had a devil of a time just getting internet access from them. I think there's something about them being XP SP3 and the network being Win7 SP1. The laptops connect via 802.11n to a AT&T Uverse router / modem.

Answer 5

The fact that the laptops don't have Access is easily solvable by installing the Access runtime.

But the question is where are these laptops and why can't they connect to your network?  Trying to synchronize a remote database is not easy.