Opening Shared Access Files

Question

Simple home network, 2 PCs.

Access file split between front ends (on each PC), and data tables (on my PC).

Other PC can open it all OK, IF it's not open on my PC. Otherwise I get a "file already open" message.

(Although I CAN open the tables file on other PC, across the network, at the even if file is open on my PC.)

If I close it on my PC, then open on other PC (and leave it open), I CAN open it again on my PC.

So which of the multitude of security gates (or Registry settings?) did I miss? What do I do to get both front ends accessing the tables file painlessly? 

Oh and for fun … I have an older version of the front end (created in Access 2016) that does NOT have the problems. Of course, it doesn't have most current front end forms, etc LOL

Thanks in advance for expert advice …

Answer 1

Thanks for your note, Gina. Now I understand the holdup.

I misspoke … sorry. When I said "gotta go find that setting" I was meaning, now I have to find out where and how to affect the setting. I don't know.

This relates to the Linked Table Manager's connection to the Tables file from the front end. Does that always open the linked tables' file as exclusive? Or where do you go to tell it to open the tables file as shared?

OR is it not when the tables file is being opened that the exclusive reservation happens, but only when the VBA code tries to open a table in the file?

The weird thing for me continues to be … when using an old front-end file (created in Access 2016), there are no problems. But when using the more-recent front-end (created in Access 2019/Office 365) we run into all these sharing issues. What changed?

Thanks! Dan

Answer 2

Hi Gina -- saw your reply from 5/13, saying you are waiting to hear back.

But I did not yet see any response or feedback to my first reply. Did you get that one?

So (at least on my screen) there's my initial post, your first reaction/question, my response to your question, then your note saying you are waiting.

What did I miss?

Thanks! Dan

Answer 3

We will be waiting to hear back!

Answer 4

Good question, I should have put that into the initial post.

Access on both PCs is set (in File/Options/Client/Advanced) to open files "shared" by default, with no record locking.

I don't know how to tell how the files are actually opening … or maybe, when the front ends are opening the tables file, they are doing that exclusive? (Gotta go find that setting now LOL)

But it definitely is acting like there's some sort of exclusive access or a lock of some kind … even in the error message ("File is already open by another PC"). 

Thanks!

Answer 5

Could it be that you are trying to open in *Exclusive Mode*?