How install Access app on client PCs ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

We have a few MS Access apps that are split and the front-end needs
installing on 50-100 client PC's. These apps are updated every few months and
the front end detects when it is out of date by querying a back-end table.

Is there any way to automate the distribution of the client portion both on
initial install and when versions change. We need to install the client MDE
and also a desktop shortcut pointing to the correct MS Access EXE library
since our users have different versions of Office and Access (sometimes
multiple versions) on their PCs?
 
Well you will have fun the multiple version of access, I would seriously
consider getting everyone on the same version. The way I solve the delivery
problem is this,
on Windows 2000, Windows XP clients when logging in to the network, given
you have 50 - 100 clients I am guessing you have an NT/Windows 2000/Windows
2003 server somewhere.

At the bottom of your login script the following command should do the
trick.

xcopy \\yourservername\yoursharename\*.mde c:\"Documents and settings"\"All
users"\desktop\*.* /c/r

this will copy the latest version from a network share to the workstation
default desktop one copy on the workstation and it is everyones desktop. The
only drawback of this method is this will happen everytime you login, so
this line maybe rem'd out most of the time until you have a new version to
deploy.

Why have you got several version of Access?

If those several different version are Access 2000, Access XP, Access 2003
then there is no problem just make sure your MDE is Access 2000 and it will
run under the other two versions, if you still have Access 97 databases,
then there is a registry 'hack' that will get those Access 97 databases
running in the newer versions without having to 'upgrade' the databases
themselves.
 
To automate the initial distribution you'd use VB Script or something
like that.

For keeping the Front Ends current visit Tony Toews's site and look
for FE Updater. It is freely downloadable and can be made to serve
your purposes.

HTH
 
Back
Top