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General discussion

Error when opening MDE (build in Access97) in Office2007

Jan 21, 2011 10:04PM PST

Hello.
I build an application for a client in Access97 and gave them the MDE version which includes the Access97-runtime (because they have an Office (2007) version without Access).
When they try to open the MDE-file, the get the error:

"You can not convert or activate a MDE file" (my translation of the original error, in Dutch:
"U **** een MDE bestand niet converteren of activeren.")

When I tried to install it on a PC with Office-2010 Starter Ed. (which is without Access), it worked fine.
Could anyone explain me what is the reason for the error, and how to solve it? By the way: I can not convert the application from Access97 to a newer version (like Acces2007),because I only have the Access97-runtime, and because the client doesn't have Access, I have to include it in my installer-file.

Discussion is locked

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Re:MDE file
Jan 22, 2011 4:12AM PST

Let me remark this shows the risk of losing the source of any application. That's rather unprofessional.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178973%28office.12%29.aspx states (among a lot of other useful things):

MDE file limitations
MDE files are MDB files that have VBA source code compiled into computer
code and VBA source code removed. Office Access 2007 cannot convert or enable
an MDE file. To upgrade an MDE file, you must find the original MDB file and
convert that file.

It's amazing it works in Office 2010 again, but I have to believe you if you say so.

It seems you have the choice of:
a. Program it again in a current version of MS Access.
b. Providing your client with Office 2010 to run that application.
c. Have your client upgrade to Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, install the virtual XP and run that mde-file in that virtual machine.

Best of luck. And let's hope your posts in a multitude of other forums have more success than this one.

Kees

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MDE-file error
Jan 22, 2011 8:07PM PST

Thank you for you advice Kees. Bye the way I did no say I dont have the MDB-file anymore, of course I do, only my client doesnt have it, which I think is professional, unless you work for 'open source software', which is not my case. I'll advice my client to keep using their old PC (winXP). on which it worked fine. A pity Access is not that compatible, maybe next time I better choose for another programming environment, like e.g. .Net, or might this lead to similar problems (.Net version on PC client is not updated etc.) ?

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Re: mdb-file
Jan 22, 2011 10:31PM PST

If you have the source mdb-file, you can open that in Access 2007, and make a new 2007 mde-file which should run with your client if you install it together with the 2007 runtime. It's like a new application then, that doesn't have any history.

I don't see the problem.

Kees