Access 97 RunTime on Version 1709 Stops Working

After the latest Windows 10 update Access has stopped working

"stops working" is not enough information. What EXACTLY happens?

• when you start msaccess.exe on its own?
• when you start your application - I presume from a shortcut

Also, you have to know that this day was coming, right? I mean, it's 20 years past the release date of A97. We are 7 versions ahead. Ignoring the writing on the wall (such as A97 being out of support for MANY years) is eventually going to catch up to you.

I also have had 2 customers with same problem. First customer resolved issue by installing my app on a new computer.

Error: Microsoft Access has Stopped Working.

This happens when trying to open Access 97 Application on a Windows 10 Computer that has been updated to version 1709. The problem is not with version 1709 alone because I have many customers with build 1709 and I have computer with 1709 and the app runs fine.

One particular customer was updated to 1709 on two computers.

One computer with build 1709 and Windows 10 Pro, the program producers error above.

Second computer with build 1709 and Windows 10 Home, the program runs fine.

In my case, MSACCESS.EXE has actually been renamed to StartAccess_97.exe by the SageKey scripts used for the installation.

The program is called from a shortcut with the following Target line:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Sagekey Software\StartAccess_97.exe" /excl /runtime  /user "Cashier1" /wrkgrp "c:\app\app.mdw" "c:\app\app.MDE"

As Tom suggested, Access 97 is 20 years old. Why would you think Access 97 apps would work forever, especially after the major change with Office 2007.

If you haven't been updating your apps to more recent versions then you are doing your customers a disservice.

While I agree that the application desperately needs to be moved to a more modern platform, I would appreciate some suggestions that would actually help resolve the immediate problem.

Moving an application with with the following does not move that quickly:

79 Table in back-end MDB

77 Work Tables in Front-end MDE

232 Queries in Front-end MDE

312 Forms in Front-end MDE

240 Reports in Front-end MDE

3 Macros

26 Modules with 218 Functions/Procedures in Front-end MDE

17 Modules with 325 Functions/Procedures in Linked Front-end MDE

16 external References 4 MS related, 1 Code Module, plus 11 other 3rd party dll or ocx libraries

 3rd party libraries for barcode printing, CC Scanner, CC Merchant Gateway, FTP, Zip

Subsequent Access releases of Access over the years did not seem to provide much utility or stability. Eventually the technology gap between Access 97 and each next version grew to be too wide. Access 95 was such a disaster (like Windows Vista or Windows Millennium) it is often hard trust Microsoft with new release without waiting a year or two for the bugs to clear out.