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Thread ID: 93646	2008-09-25 22:57:00	How to open Access 97 Database	Miami Steve (2128)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
707808	2008-09-25 22:57:00	Our company has an old Access 97 database on a PC which is about to expire. The PC is fairly inaccessible, is running NT4.0 and has only 32MB of RAM. We also no longer have an Office 97 CD. Working directly on the dying PC is a last resort. We copied the .mdb file (as well as 2 Excel files which are accessed as linked tables) to another PC. However, when we try to open the database with Access 2003 (or Access 2007) we simply get a message stating that 'Employee List'$' is not a valid name. (Note that the 3 quote marks are exactly as they appear in the message). Employee List.xls is one of the spreadsheets linked into the database. Clicking OK to this message progresses to a blank Access screen with only File..., Window and Help available on the menu. On the File menu, only Exit is available and nothing on the Window menu. This database is used every day and we would like to move it to a new PC and forget all about it for another few years. I have tried to open Access 2003, then select Tools/Database Utilities/Convert Database..., but this results in a message "Microsoft Office Access encountered one or more errors during conversion. To view a summary of these errors, open the 'Conversion Errors' table. Click OK and try to open the new converted database in Access 2003 displays the same message and symptoms as trying to open the Access 97 database directly with Access 2003. Do I have any options but to work on the database directly in Access 97 and if I do, what do I need to change to make it valid for conversion to Access 2003/2007? Is it simply a case of removing the blank space in the Excel filename?	Miami Steve (2128)
707809	2008-09-25 23:05:00	You may need to setup an ODBC connection to the mdb and then extract all the tables into xls/mdb2003 and work from that. If your spreadsheets are working fine this should work. Good luck	zcc (50)
707810	2008-09-25 23:43:00	The problem I have is that the database has no tables other than the linked excel spreadsheet. What I need to get to is the form and the code that is behind the form - this database application was developed years ago by someone who has since left the company.	Miami Steve (2128)
707811	2008-09-25 23:45:00	You could, as a last resort, buy a second-hand copy of Office 97.	jwil1 (65)
707812	2008-09-25 23:54:00	Ok, when you copied the stuff, you copied it EXACTLY? By this i mean the directory names ARE EXACTLY THE SAME? If not try that. When you create links things and move them about this can be important. Especially if there is CODE involved as the code may contain the directory names!	zcc (50)
707813	2008-09-25 23:59:00	Ok, when you copied the stuff, you copied it EXACTLY? By this i mean the directory names ARE EXACTLY THE SAME? If not try that. When you create links things and move them about this can be important. Especially if there is CODE involved as the code may contain the directory names! Not initially zcc, but I did suspect that may be an issue, so put it in the same location as on the original PC - to no avail ......	Miami Steve (2128)
707814	2008-09-26 05:18:00	so.. have you tried to extract the vb code? Search the net there are some utils about. It may be better to start from scratch... what does the code do? Convert data to xls or something? If so it should not be hard to re-engineer (says the eternal optimist)... is there and mda file about? or is there another mdb? one mdb may contain the code while the other contains the data?	zcc (50)
707815	2008-09-26 05:30:00	Will do some more searching over the weekend and see how I get on. Thanks for the suggestions.....	Miami Steve (2128)
707816	2008-09-26 05:33:00	Have you tried to attach/extract the mdb from another access? If I was not on 2007 I would be able to work out the exact instructions for you, its along the line of import mdb, but not data, you want the code from the sound of it. I do have 2003 and even 1997 on an old pc at the back of the cupboard, so if you have no luck pm me.	zcc (50)
707817	2008-09-29 22:07:00	Have you tried to attach/extract the mdb from another access? If I was not on 2007 I would be able to work out the exact instructions for you, its along the line of import mdb, but not data, you want the code from the sound of it. I do have 2003 and even 1997 on an old pc at the back of the cupboard, so if you have no luck pm me. Thanks zcc - that did the trick. I imported the forms and queries to Access 2003 and re-linked the tables. :punk	Miami Steve (2128)
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