ACC: "There Is No License" Error Message Starting Microsoft Access

ID: Q141373

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit 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. Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) and a Microsoft Access project (.adp).


SYMPTOMS

When you start Microsoft Access 7.0 or 97, you may receive the following error message. 


   In Microsoft Access 97
   ----------------------

Microsoft Access can't start because there is no license for it on this machine.
-or-
Can't find the database you specified or you didn't specify a database at all. 


   In Microsoft Access 7.0
   -----------------------

Microsoft Access can't be started as there is no license for it on this machine.


CAUSE

Microsoft Access is not properly registered on your computer. When you start Microsoft Access, it checks the Windows Registry for the following entry. 


  In Microsoft Access 97
  ----------------------
   \\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Licenses\8CC49940-3146-11CF-97A1-00AA00424A9F


  In Microsoft Access 7.0
  -----------------------
   \\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Licenses\B54DCF20-5F9C-101B-AF4E-00AA003F0F07

If this entry is missing, you receive the error message mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.

NOTE: The same key is used for both the retail version and the run-time version of Microsoft Access.

In Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 only, you may also receive this error message if you do not have Read permissions to the Licenses key in the registry.

In Microsoft Windows 98, you may also receive this error message because of a problem with the installation process.


RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, follow the steps below that are appropriate for your situation.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

Steps to Try If Microsoft Access Is Not Properly Registered

There are two ways to resolve this error message. You can uninstall Microsoft Access on your computer, and then reinstall it.

-or-

You can run the Microsoft Access Setup program using a command line switch (/y) to reset your computer's registry. To reset the registry, follow these steps:
  1. In Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0, click the Start button, then click Run (or in Windows NT 3.51, click Run on the File menu in Program Manager or File Manager).


  2. Type a command to run the Microsoft Access Setup program using the /y switch, for example: 
    
         C:\Setup /y


  3. In the Installation Maintenance Program box, click Reinstall. The Setup program updates the system Registry for Microsoft Access. When Setup is complete, start Microsoft Access.


Steps to Try If Problem Is Caused by No Read Permissions to Licenses Key



When logged on to a Windows NT 4.0 system as an administrator, you can check and modify user permissions to the different registry keys using the Windows NT 4.0 registry editor. To do so, follow these steps:
  1. Log on to the problem computer as an Administrator.


  2. On the Task Bar, click Start, and then click Run.


  3. Type regedt32, and click OK.


  4. Select the \\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Licenses key.


  5. On the Security menu, click Permissions.


  6. Make sure that the necessary users and groups have at least Read permissions to the key.


  7. Close the Registry Editor and re-start the computer.


When you log on as a typical user, you should now be able to start Microsoft Access without problems.

Steps to Try If You Are Using Windows 98 and Microsoft Access 97

If you have upgraded your computer to Windows 98, you may experience the problem described in the "Symptoms" section of this article under the following conditions:
  • You have installed Microsoft Publisher


  • You have installed Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition


Note: In Windows 98 with Access 97, you may also see the following error:
Can't find the database you specified or you didn't specify a database at all.
Certain fonts that are installed by Microsoft Publisher can result in the incorrect registration of Microsoft Access 97, but only when Access is being installed from the Office 97 Professional CD. You can correct the registration error by using either of the following methods:

Rename one of the problem fonts, and then reinstall Microsoft Access from the Setup Maintenance Mode. 

   -or-

Download a tool that Microsoft has on its Downloads Web site that corrects this problem.

For more information about either method, see the appropriate section below.

Renaming the Font and Reinstalling Microsoft Access

Reinstalling Microsoft Access 97 using the Setup Maintenance Mode does not require you to uninstall Microsoft Access first; it simply returns the computer to the install state that it was in the last time Setup was run. Follow these steps to correct the registry error:
  1. On the Start menu, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.


  2. In the Named box, type hatten.ttf.


  3. In the Look In box, type C:\Windows\Fonts or the path to the Fonts folder on your computer.


  4. Click the Find Now button to start the search.


  5. Under Name, right-click the hatten.ttf file, and click Rename on the menu that appears.


  6. Change the name of the file to hatten.xxx.


  7. Minimize (but do not close) the Find dialog box.


  8. On the Start Menu, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.


  9. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.


  10. In the Add/Remove Program Properties dialog box, select the Install/ Uninstall tab and select Microsoft Office 97, Professional Edition from the program list.


  11. Click the Add/Remove button to run Office Setup in Maintenance Mode.


  12. In the Microsoft Office 97 Setup dialog box, click Reinstall.


  13. Once the reinstallation is finished, click the Find dialog box on the Windows taskbar to maximize it.


  14. Under Name, right-click the hatten.xxx file, and click Rename on the menu that appears.


  15. Change the name of the file to hatten.ttf.


Microsoft Access should now be properly registered.

Using the Downloadable Tool

The AcLicn97.exe file contains a tool that corrects the problem discussed in this article so that you can run Microsoft Access 97 successfully. For more information about downloading this tool, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q191224 ACC97: AcLicn97.exe Available in Download Center


REFERENCES

For more information about removing Microsoft Access 7.0 from your hard disk drive, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q167850 ACC95: How to Uninstall Microsoft Access 7.0

Additional query words: win98 acc97 acc95

Keywords : kberrmsg kbsetup StpGnrl
Version : WINDOWS:7.0,97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb


Last Reviewed: November 9, 1999
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