How do I create an MS Access exe from my mdb files for a multi-user environment?

Question

I'm not sure if it's possible, but we hope to work around licensing costs by creating .exe files from the current .mdb files. The intent is to allow users to run these database via .exe and still pool the information together for reports, sharing data, etc. without paying for individual MS Access licenses for each end user. Is this possible? Can you link databases on a shared network in exe format? Will I need to recompile and redistribute exe's each time I make a change (add a form, report, etc.)? Has this done successfully? Is it cost effective? Just wondering if it's a waste of time and some pros and cons if it is possible. Thanks for all your help Yahoo community!

Answer 1

You can compile to a front-end MDE file, and have a common database on the back-end as well.



Take a look at the following:

http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/splitapp/index.htm



However, if you're going to have multiple users editing a single database at the same time, concurrency will be a problem. A much better solution is to create a custom front-end tied to a SQL Server (or even MSDE) back-end.

Answer 2

First of all, MS Access was not really built to be used as a multi user app, but recent modifications have supposedly improved it. Secondly, even if you create an exe for the database, a user is still going to need MS Access installed on their computer to run the app. I don't know that it would even be possible to create an exe that contains the database within it (?) Normally, an exe would be an application that pointed to a separate database. If cost is an issue, why not look into an open source solution, like MySQL? Microsoft has taken great pains to ensure that people cannot use their products without paying for them - if you try to skirt their deterrents, it will just cause more problems in the end. Besides - Access is part of Office, isn't it? I mean, if you have Excel or Word, you should have Access, so cost shouldn't really be an issue.

Answer 3

Ms Access To Exe

Answer 4

To use the Access DB without having Access installed You would need to get Access RunTime, which will allow You to make .exe versions of the front-end portion of your DB that can run without ACCESS being installed.

I have no idea of the cost, but for your specific application You may want to check it out on your own in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.