MDE as a standalone

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steven Cheng
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Steven Cheng

I am starting to create a front and back end db and was
reading some of the materials from the Help option where
I came across MDE's.

I understand that once I have compiled the front end to a
MDE, it cannot be changed. Does that imply that a user,
that doesn't have Access loaded on his machine would be
able to run the front end.
 
I am starting to create a front and back end db and was
reading some of the materials from the Help option where
I came across MDE's.

I understand that once I have compiled the front end to a
MDE, it cannot be changed. Does that imply that a user,
that doesn't have Access loaded on his machine would be
able to run the front end.
Click to expand...

No. The end user needs to have Access installed (be it a retail version or a
runtime version) in order to open and run an Access application. Making an MDE
file merely removes all but the compiled state of the code and, in addition to
the security benefits that you mention, also prevents decompilation and VBA
corruption.
 
Thanks. But what do you mean by a runtime/retail version.

Retail: Access purchased as a stand-alone application or as part of the MS
Office Suite.

RunTime: Access runtime installed as part of a deployed application packaged
with the Office Developer Edition.

Both versions are essentially the same Access executable - the runtime
installation incorporates a plethora of registry entries which render the
development capabilities unusable and reduces the user interface to the most
basic functionality.
 
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