The information in this article applies to:
Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills. This article applies only to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb). SYMPTOMS
On a computer on which you have installed both Microsoft Access 97 and Microsoft Access 2000, you find that one or both versions of Access are using the wrong workgroup information file (default name, System.mdw). This change can cause one of the following symptoms.
Microsoft Access couldn't find the file '<Windows\System folder>\SYSTEM.MDW'. This file is required for startup. CAUSEYou have, at some point, defined a workgroup information file that does not have the name System.mdw, or that is not in the same location as it was when you first installed Access. RESOLUTIONCreate a shortcut to Access that includes the /wrkgrp switch and path to the workgroup information file. This forces Access to always use the same workgroup information file and to ignore the registry setting. The following is an example command line that you can write in the shortcut to indicate that Access must always use the workgroup information file, C:\Secure.mdw: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Msaccess.exe" /wrkgrp "C:\Secure.mdw" STATUSMicrosoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. MORE INFORMATIONSteps to Reproduce Problem
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\1033 C:\System.mdw Please wait while Windows configures Microsoft Access 2000. ?DBEngine.SystemDB Explanation of BehaviorWhen you run Access 97, Access 97 reregisters itself and makes itself the current version of Access on the computer; this means that at this point, if you click on an Access database, Access 97 tries to open the database. Likewise, when you run Access 2000 after running Access 97, Access 2000 reregisters itself, and makes itself the current version. When Access 2000 reregisters, Access 2000 also rewrites the System.mdw location to the Windows registry. The location written to the registry is always the location determined when Access was first installed on the computer. If Access 97 does not find the System.mdw location there, Access 97 displays a message that the System.mdw could not be found. If Access 2000 does not find the System.mdw location there, Access 2000 starts the repair process to create a default System.mdw with no security defined.The following is an example of the registry keys that are rewritten when Access self-registers. Access 97: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Access\Jet\3.5\EnginesAccess 2000: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Access\Jet\4.0\EnginesNOTE: You do not notice this problem on a computer running both Access 97 and Access 95 because Access 95 does not reregister and make itself the current version of Access. In this configuration, Access 97 is always the current version of Access. REFERENCESFor information about another issue when using a shortcut to open an Access 2000 database, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q238258 ACC2000: Record-Level Locking Not Used with Windows ShortcutFor more information about the Workgroup Administrator program, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type work with a workgroup information file in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic. Additional query words: pra
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Last Reviewed: September 23, 1999 © 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use. |