Saving as an MDE File a Database That References Another Database

If you try to save as an MDE file a database (.mdb) or an add-in database (.mda) that references another database or add-in, Microsoft Access displays an error message and doesn’t let you complete the operation. To save as an MDE file a database that references another database, you must save all databases in the chain of references as MDE files, starting from the first database referenced. After saving the first database as an MDE file, you must then update the reference in the next database to point to the new MDE file before saving it as an MDE file, and so on.

For example, if Database1.mdb references Database2.mdb, which references Database3.mda, you would proceed as follows:

1. Save Database3.mda as Database3.mde.
   
   
2. Open Database 2.mdb and change its reference to point to the new Database3.mde.
   
   
3. Save Database2.mdb as Database2.mde.
   
   
4. Open Database1.mdb and change its reference to point to the new Database2.mde.
   
   
5. Save Database1.mdb as Database1.mde.

See Also For information about referencing another database, see Building Applications with Microsoft Access 97, Chapter 12, “Using Library Databases and Dynamic-Link Libraries.”