.This topic provides reference information about:
When to enable an Access database
Enabling a secured Access database
Size of an enabled Access database
You may want to enable a Microsoft Access database in a multiuser environment where all users can't upgrade to Microsoft Access 2000 at the same time. In this situation, a database must be used simultaneously with different versions of Microsoft Access, and users who have upgraded to Microsoft Access 2000 can enable a database in a previous-version format. When a Microsoft Access 2000 user enables the database, Microsoft Access maintains the original format so that users of previous versions of Microsoft Access can continue to use the database. For example, if a shared database is created in Microsoft Access version 2.0, it can be used with Microsoft Access version 2.0 and enabled in Microsoft Access 2000.
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You can enable a Microsoft Access version 2.0 database, an Access 95 database, or an Access 97 database so that you can use it in Microsoft Access 2000. . When you use Microsoft Access 2000 to enable a previous-version Access database, you can view database objects and add, delete, or modify records. However, you can't modify the design of objects. To modify the design of existing objects or to add new objects, you must open the database with the version of Microsoft Access used to create it. You can't open a Microsoft Access 2000 database with a previous version of Microsoft Access.
Instead of enabling, you can share front-end/back-end applications between Microsoft Access version 2.0, Access 95, Access 97, and Access 2000, provided that the back-end database is maintained in the oldest version of Microsoft Access that is being used. For more information on using a Microsoft Access database with several versions of Microsoft Access, click .
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In a previous-version Access database, you cannot link or import an Access 2000 table. However, you can export an Access 2000 table to a previous-version Access database. You can also cut, copy, and paste data from an Access 2000 table to a table in a previous version of Microsoft Access.
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Microsoft Access 97 or later supports a new style of toolbars and menu bars. When you enable a Microsoft Access 95 database in Microsoft Access 2000, custom toolbars are converted to the new style but the conversion isn't saved. Custom menu bars are interpreted as the new style menu bar, but the menu bar macros are not converted and continue to be supported.
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If your Access database is secure, you can make sure that it retains its security by recreating the workgroup information file in Access 2000. If you cannot recreate the workgroup information file, you can use the Workgroup Administrator to join the secure database's previous-version workgroup information file; however, it is recommended that you convert the workgroup information file to Access 2000 before you join it. As long as you use the database with its original workgroup information, it retains all its security except permissions for the modules. In Access 2000, you can protect Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code with a password. Learn more about enabling a secured database.
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Your Access database may increase in size when you enable it. If you have already enabled a database in a previous version of Microsoft Access, and if you enable it again in Access 2000, the size of the Visual Basic project will increase even more. In rare cases, you may have enabled a Microsoft Access version 2.0 database in Microsoft Access 95, enabled it again in Microsoft Access 97, and enabled it again in Microsoft Access 2000; in this case, the Visual Basic project must store information in the format of each version.
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Microsoft Access 2000 does not support the DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library. If you attempt to enable an Access database in which the code contains older versions of DAO objects, methods, and properties that depend on the DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library, you receive a message that there were compilation errors during the enabling of the database. Before you enable the Access database, update the code so that it does not depend on the DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library. For information on compatibility between Visual Basic in previous versions of Microsoft Access and Visual Basic in Microsoft Access 2000, click .
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For information on how to enable a Access database, click .