I have a .MDB back-end database that is created with Access 2.0.
And multiple front-end mdb's, some are created by Access 2.0, and the
rest are created by Access 2003.
The fron-ends had table attachments to the back-end database.
The problem is I'm unable to access any table by both versions of
Access in the same time!

Here are the steps to replicate the problem

1- Open one Access 2.0 front-end mdb, then open the attached table T1
2- Open another Access 2003 front-end mdb, try to open the same
attached table, you will get the error "Could not use .mdb; file
already in use."
3- I can only open the table from Access 2.0 front-end.

It seems Access 2.0 locks the table against 2003 version only.

I'm trying to find a patch/service pack, workaround.
Your feed back is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Moor

The easiest workaround would be to export the data from the
tables in the Acc2.0 mdb as textfiles and then import those textfiles
into an Acc2003 mdb.  If this will be tedious because you have a few
dozen tables to export then an alternative would be to ... well, you
could automate the process with VBA and loop through the tabledefs
collection (for the table names) and create the textfiles that way and
then import them into a Acc2003 mdb.

Rich

*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***

Thanks, Rich,

In fact the problem is not in the Export/Import process. It is about
opening the 2.0 mdb files using different versions of MS Access,
epecifically 2.0 and 2003.

Best regards,

Mourad

Moor <mourad.barakat@gmail.com> wrote:

>I have a .MDB back-end database that is created with Access 2.0.
>And multiple front-end mdb's, some are created by Access 2.0, and the
>rest are created by Access 2003.
>The fron-ends had table attachments to the back-end database.
>The problem is I'm unable to access any table by both versions of
>Access in the same time!

Is this a new problam or has this never worked?

A2003 doesn't support A2.0 so I'm not sure if you'll ever get this working if it's
never worked before. 
Error Message: You Must Install the Microsoft Access 2.0 Converter in Order to
Convert This File
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=830271

Tony
-- 
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
   Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can 
read the entire thread of messages.
   Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at 
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
   Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

Thanks Rich and Tony,

I will have to admit I was not clear about my question.

I have two front-end databases, one is version 2.0 and the other is
version 2003.
Both have links to tables that are stored in a back-end database
(version 2.0)
Now I open the 2.0 Front-end database using Access 2.0
Then open the 2003 front-end database using Access 2003 (from another
machine)
Now I cannot open any linked table in Access 2003, I get the error
"Could not use '.mdb'; file already in use.
It seems Access 2.0 locks the whole database.

Upgrading the back-end database to 2003 is not an option.
Upgrading ALL the front-ends to 2003 is not an option either.
I have to live with the situation of mixed front-end and 2.0 back-end

Thanks for reading,

Mourad

Moor <mourad.barakat@gmail.com> wrote:

>I will have to admit I was not clear about my question.
>
>I have two front-end databases, one is version 2.0 and the other is
>version 2003.
>Both have links to tables that are stored in a back-end database
>(version 2.0)
>Now I open the 2.0 Front-end database using Access 2.0
>Then open the 2003 front-end database using Access 2003 (from another
>machine)
>Now I cannot open any linked table in Access 2003, I get the error
>"Could not use '.mdb'; file already in use.
>It seems Access 2.0 locks the whole database.
>
>Upgrading the back-end database to 2003 is not an option.
>Upgrading ALL the front-ends to 2003 is not an option either.
>I have to live with the situation of mixed front-end and 2.0 back-end

I undetstand all that.  However you didn't answer my question.

Is this a new problam or has this never worked before?  Was this working for you at
one time?

Tony
-- 
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
   Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can 
read the entire thread of messages.
   Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at 
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
   Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

This is a new situation, that came up when I decided it's time to
upgrade.

Moor <mourad.barakat@gmail.com> wrote:

>This is a new situation, that came up when I decided it's time to
>upgrade.

I doubt very much you will find a solution.   I suspect that MS removed support for
A2.0 in A2003.  

Now it may be possible to use A2000 to link to an A2.0 MDB.  Ah, here we go.  A quote
from A2000 help.

"Run the Linked Table Manager (Tools menu, Database Utilities command) to link the
new Microsoft Access 2000 front-end database to the tables in the previous-version
database. You can then enhance the Microsoft Access 2000 front-end database to
support new features, for users that have upgraded to Microsoft Access 2000. Users of
previous versions can continue to use the previous-version database. For example, if
the back-end tables are in Microsoft Access version 2.0 format, you can use up to
four versions of Microsoft Access: Microsoft Access version 2.0 (using the original
database), Microsoft Access 95 and 97 (using an enabled version of the original
database or a converted front-end database), and Microsoft Access 2000 (using a
converted front-end database). "

One possibility then might be to use an A2000 runtime for your users to use A2.0
data.

Tony
-- 
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
   Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can 
read the entire thread of messages.
   Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at 
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
   Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

Thanks, Tony,

I've found some work around, but I need to do more testing.
If I open a 2003 front-end FIRST, then open the other 2.0 front-end,
things seem to work OK. I even tested some concurret updates and they
succeded!
I colcluded that if the .ldb file (for the back-end database 2.0) was
initially created by A2.0, for some reason A2003 fails to open it or
fails to recognize its contents. So by creating it using A2003, then
it can be oened and read by A2.0 !!
My concern is that the Locking layout in the header page of the
database is different: A2.0 use 256 bytes (one byte per user), and
starts at x700 Hex, while A2003 use 512 bytes (2 bytes per user), and
starts at x600 Hex! But Microsoft claims that Jet 3.x (used by A2003)
is backword compatible to Jet 2.x, and it can access linked tables
created by Jet 2.x

Best regards,

Mourad