Application with code digitally signed in Access 2003 crashes Access 2000

[Peter R. Fletcher]

I have recently installed Access 2003 (and am rapidly getting happier
that I did not install it on top of my existing copy of Access XP!).
Most of my existing applications seem to work and be editable under
the new version, but a particular one - one of my more major
"products" (of course!). Is giving me a lot of trouble. It is a very
complex application with front and back end sections and lots of code,
both in Modules and behind forms, but it has been running perfectly
happily for me and my customer for 3 or 4 months under Access XP.

When I first tried to run it under Access 2003 and told Access to
trust it, it crashed spectacularly and repeatedly. When Access 2003
was allowed to run the application in its "sandbox", it did not crash
and appeared to run properly (not tested exhaustively!). I have a
digital signature for code signing, so I used this to sign the
application (under Access 2003) and confirmed that it then ran under
that version of Access without security prompts and without apparent
problems. HOWEVER, the signed application now predictably crashes if I
try to run it (or look at code in it) in the VBA editor under Access
XP.

I have a number of less complex applications (including one with a
front end and a back end and containing quite a lot of code) that can
be digitally signed under Access 2003 and continue to run without
crashing under Access XP, which suggests that there is something
specific about the problem one that is causing the trouble. Can anyone
suggest where I should start looking?

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Eric Schittlipz]

I have recently installed Access 2003 (and am rapidly getting happier
that I did not install it on top of my existing copy of Access XP!).
Most of my existing applications seem to work and be editable under
the new version, but a particular one - one of my more major
"products" (of course!). Is giving me a lot of trouble. It is a very
complex application with front and back end sections and lots of code,
both in Modules and behind forms, but it has been running perfectly
happily for me and my customer for 3 or 4 months under Access XP.

When I first tried to run it under Access 2003 and told Access to
trust it, it crashed spectacularly and repeatedly. When Access 2003
was allowed to run the application in its "sandbox", it did not crash
and appeared to run properly (not tested exhaustively!). I have a
digital signature for code signing, so I used this to sign the
application (under Access 2003) and confirmed that it then ran under
that version of Access without security prompts and without apparent
problems. HOWEVER, the signed application now predictably crashes if I
try to run it (or look at code in it) in the VBA editor under Access
XP.

I have a number of less complex applications (including one with a
front end and a back end and containing quite a lot of code) that can
be digitally signed under Access 2003 and continue to run without
crashing under Access XP, which suggests that there is something
specific about the problem one that is causing the trouble. Can anyone
suggest where I should start looking?

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the
exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

Have you ever used the decompile switch? First make a backup copy of the
database, then create a shortcut to the database and modify it with
/DECOMPILE. Run the shortcut, then check references, recompile and save.
If this doesn't fix it, then simply create a new database with Access 2003
and import all the objects from the old to the new. Check your references
and make sure the thing compiles.

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

Have you ever used the decompile switch? First make a backup copy of the
database, then create a shortcut to the database and modify it with
/DECOMPILE. Run the shortcut, then check references, recompile and save.
If this doesn't fix it, then simply create a new database with Access 2003
and import all the objects from the old to the new. Check your references
and make sure the thing compiles.

I have very occasionally used /decompile in the past and did try it
this time, both with Access XP and with Access 2003 (which I assume
still supports it). Both attempted decompiles (each on a fresh working
copy of the application) also crashed spectacularly. Should I disable
the startup code (which does various interesting things!) before
attempting to decompile? Failing that, I will probably have to try
importing everything into a new database, but "everything" is an awful
lot of objects!

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

 

[Eric Schittlipz]

I have very occasionally used /decompile in the past and did try it
this time, both with Access XP and with Access 2003 (which I assume
still supports it). Both attempted decompiles (each on a fresh working
copy of the application) also crashed spectacularly. Should I disable
the startup code (which does various interesting things!) before
attempting to decompile?

Yes, I would. I have had similar issues. Not often, but always when
different versions of Access are involved. I have not, however, seen much
discussion of it in the newsgroups.

Failing that, I will probably have to try

importing everything into a new database, but "everything" is an awful
lot of objects!

Yes, but that shouldn't take more than a minute (you can select all objects
in one hit). Unless user-level security is involved where you have to
re-set the permissions on each object, but even then, it shouldn't take
long. I would definitely do this if a decompile is crashing.

 

[Eric Schittlipz]

I have very occasionally used /decompile in the past and did try it
this time, both with Access XP and with Access 2003 (which I assume
still supports it). Both attempted decompiles (each on a fresh working
copy of the application) also crashed spectacularly. Should I disable
the startup code (which does various interesting things!) before
attempting to decompile? Failing that, I will probably have to try
importing everything into a new database, but "everything" is an awful
lot of objects!

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the
exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher

Possible re-post:

I have very occasionally used /decompile in the past and did try it
this time, both with Access XP and with Access 2003 (which I assume
still supports it). Both attempted decompiles (each on a fresh working
copy of the application) also crashed spectacularly. Should I disable
the startup code (which does various interesting things!) before
attempting to decompile?

Yes, I would. I have had similar issues. Not often, but always when
different versions of Access are involved. I have not, however, seen much
discussion of it in the newsgroups.

Failing that, I will probably have to try

importing everything into a new database, but "everything" is an awful
lot of objects!

Yes, but that shouldn't take more than a minute (you can select all objects
in one hit). Unless user-level security is involved where you have to
re-set the permissions on each object, but even then, it shouldn't take
long. I would definitely do this if a decompile is crashing.

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

Yes, I would. I have had similar issues. Not often, but always when
different versions of Access are involved. I have not, however, seen much
discussion of it in the newsgroups.

The decompiles still crash, even after startup code is disabled.

Failing that, I will probably have to try

Yes, but that shouldn't take more than a minute (you can select all objects
in one hit). Unless user-level security is involved where you have to
re-set the permissions on each object, but even then, it shouldn't take
long. I would definitely do this if a decompile is crashing.

I (obviously) hadn't realised that an import could be done in one fell
swoop. What's fascinating is that a decompile still crashes on the new
database (after references have been fixed and the code successfully
compiled). I haven't tried the "digitally sign under 2003, then try to
run under XP" sequence on the new database yet, but this is getting
truly weird!

Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher