ODE97: Run-Time Application Changes Windows File Associations

ID: Q183143

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97
Microsoft Office 97 Developer Edition

SUMMARY

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

Every time you start Microsoft Access 97, the automatic registration feature registers Msaccess.exe, the supporting Microsoft Access .dll files, the wizards, and the file associations of .mdb and .mda files. This registration process occurs regardless of whether you are running the full version of Microsoft Access 97 or the run-time version.

Installing a Microsoft Access 97 run-time application on a computer that is already running Microsoft Access 7.0 associates the .mdb files, the .mda files, and the wizards with the Microsoft Access 97 run-time executable file. After you have started the run-time application at least once, double-clicking an .mdb file results in the operating system attempting to open that file with the run-time executable instead of with Microsoft Access 7.0.

This article describes two methods to force re-registration of Microsoft Access 7.0 so that files with Microsoft Access file name extensions, such as .mdb files, are associated with the Microsoft Access 7.0 executable file after you have installed a Microsoft Access 97 run-time application.

MORE INFORMATION

IMPORTANT: This article contains a sample procedure that makes changes to the Windows 95 registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

File associations are stored in the Windows registry. You can use one of the following methods to change the file associations in the Windows registry.

Method 1: Manual Re-Registration

Insert the Microsoft Access for Windows 95 Disk 1 or the Microsoft Office Professional for Windows 95 CD-ROM in the appropriate drive.

In Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows NT version 4.0, click the Start button on the taskbar, and then click Run.

In Microsoft Windows NT 3.51, in Program Manager or File Manager, click Run on the File menu.

Type a command to run the Setup program with the /y switch, for example
```
   <Drive>:\setup /y 
```
where <Drive> is the drive letter for your disk or CD-ROM.

In the Installation Maintenance dialog box, click Reinstall.

This may not be the best method if you use the Microsoft Access 97 run-time application regularly, because you must reset the file associations every time you start the run-time application.

Method 2: Changing File Associations in Code

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Solution Providers, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/mcsp/

For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/overview/overview.asp

MSACCREG.DLL is a file that is installed on your computer by Microsoft Access 7.0. If you accepted the default folders during installation, the file is located in the folder C:\MSOffice\Access\MSACCREG.DLL. When you use Regsvr32.exe to register this .dll file, all files with Microsoft Access file name extensions are associated with the Microsoft Access 7.0 executable file. If Regsvr32.exe does not already exist on your hard drive, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for information about obtaining a copy of the program:

Q161983 ACC: Regsv32a.exe Available in Download Center

You can use a Visual Basic for Applications procedure to call Regsvr32.exe and register the MSACCREG.DLL file every time you open the Microsoft Access 97 run-time application. This forces the Microsoft Access file name extensions to be associated in the Windows registry with the Microsoft Access 7.0 executable file.

The following sample procedure is designed to run in the Open event of a startup form. Please note that you may need to insert a loop containing a DoEvents statement after the line of code that contains the Sendkeys statement; the purpose of this loop is to delay execution of the Sendkeys statement. Whether or not you need to implement such a loop depends on the speed of your computer.

Paste or type the following procedure into the Open event of the startup form in your Microsoft Access 97 run-time application.

NOTE: This code generates an error if Microsoft Access 7.0 is not installed, or if the file MSACCREG.DLL is not located in the specified folder.


Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel as Integer)
Dim ReReg

      ' A message box appears after you run Regsvr32.exe.
      ' The SendKeys statement closes this message box
      ' box by sending it an ENTER key.

      SendKeys "{enter}"

      ' Use the Shell function to run Regsvr32.exe and re-register
      ' the .dll. The pathname argument here assumes that
      ' MSACCREG.DLL is located in the folder C:\Access95.

      ReReg = Shell("Regsvr32.exe C:\Access95\Msaccreg.dll")

End Sub

REFERENCES

For more information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q163435 VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for Applications

Additional query words: kbmacro vba run time runtime

Keywords : kbdta kbdtacode OdeGen
Version : WINDOWS:7.0,97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto