Computer Stuff

This is a problematic issue which seems to crop up again & again.

Basically, it'll need to be installed twice. First installation will give an error. Then set-up the WorkGroup Manager. Then re-install again.

- - - Installing MS Access'97 in Windows XP

How to avoid Switchboard load problems -&- "System.MDW" -&- "Dim = CurrentDb()" error messages.

If you have the above errors or problems, then your MS Access'97 did not install properly.

Before you start, make sure you have a separate back-up of your data (having more back-ups is better).

Steps:-

1) Uninstall MS Access'97. We're starting again!

2) Run the Access 97 install CD. This first installation will fail as it is missing a WorkGroup file.

=> Shutdown & Restart the PC

3) Run the "WorkGroup Administrator", press "Create", type in a workgroup name (maybe "DBUser") and press OK

- File = C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\MS Access Workgroup Administrator -or- on the CD:\OS\System\WrkGAdm.exe

- WorkGroup Administrator should "Create" the file System.MDW

- If that fails, download my system.mdw and place into C:\WINDOWS\system32\ and then (in WorkGroup Admin.), select "Join" instead.

4) Run the Access 97 install CD again. This time it will be correct.

5) Next, Download and Run the service-pack updates

- sr1off97.exe ~ MS Office 97 - Service Release 1 Patch

=> Shutdown & Restart

- sr2bof97.exe ~ MS Office 97 - Service Release 2 Patch

=> Shutdown & Restart

- Jet35sp3.exe ~ MS Jet 3.5 Database Engine - Service Pack 2

=> Shutdown & Restart

Without the Service Packs, you will get an "Out of Memory" message. From here on, your MS Access should work.

- sr2chk.exe ~ Microsoft Office 97 - Version Checker. Useful but not necessary.

MS Access'97 message : "There was an error executing the command." <- when you open database

This might from running a corrupt/ incomplete MS Access which then corrupted your data. So overwrite your database with your backed-up data

Or this might be because you have changed the folder locations of any linked tables in another database.

In MS Access'97, in Table view, the linked tables have an arrow next to them.

- You will have to re-point to the linked database by clicking File\Get External Data\Access\name-of-file.mdb and select the same linked tables. Links will be re-created but the name will be suffixed with "1" (because of same name).

- Next, rename the old defunct links maybe with a suffix "2" -&- then rename the new links to remove the suffix "1".

- Then delete the defunct links & you will get a delete warning. Note down the deleted links with 2 warnings as you will have to "re-create relationships" for these linked tables.