Happy to help! You may want to be a little careful about how you post your data up on cloud drives. The file on a cloud drive is a copy, not the actual file. As such, you will get conflicts between file versions. The best answer is to put the back end database on a network share. If other people not on your local network need access to the back end, you may need to consider a VPN solution. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES do you want copies of your data file except for backups.

Valerie McDevitt That won't work. You only want tables in your back end. Forms, Queries, Reports, and your VBA code modules should all be in your front end.

Yes, you can loop through the tabledefs and set their .Connect property to a connection string that points to the database file or SQL Connection string. Here is some code I found at www.microsoftaccessexpert.com/Microsoft-Access-Code-LinkTable.aspx: Function createAttached(strTable As String, strPath As String, strBaseTable As String) As Boolean '************************************************************************************ '* Create an attached table in the current database from a table in a different MDB file. '* In: * '* strTable - name of linked table to create * '* strPath - path and name of MDB file containing the table * '* strBaseTable - name of table in strPath MDB * '* Out: * '* Return value: True/False, indicating success * '* Modifies: * '* Nothing, but adds a new table. * '************************************************************************************ On Error GoTo CreateAttachedError Dim tdf As TableDef Dim strConnect As String Dim fRetval As Boolean Dim myDB As Database DoCmd.SetWarnings False Set myDB = CurrentDb Set tdf = myDB.CreateTableDef(strTable) With tdf .Connect = ";DATABASE=" & strPath .SourceTableName = strBaseTable End With myDB.TableDefs.Append tdf fRetval = True DoCmd.SetWarnings True CreateAttachedExit: createAttached = fRetval Exit Function CreateAttachedError: If Err = 3110 Then Resume CreateAttachedExit Else If Err = 3011 Then Resume Next End If End If End Function

You probably already figured this out, but a copy of the front end needs to be put on each user's C: drive. Whenever you make updates, a new copy will have to be sent out. I agree with Steve that a batch file that users run to give themselves a fresh copy is a good way to go. I'd put the latest front end in a network location, but separate from the back end, and have the script just copy it to their C: drive. You can also make the front end read only in its properties and have the script also put a shortcut to the actual file on their desktop. That way you can set a custom icon on the shortcut, and the actual front end database is hidden somewhere on their C: drive.

i dont think uou have to split the db to make i multi user friendly. You can even use the mdb file anywhere and its by default supports multi users. There is vb code to secure forms, accidental table deletion etc.

If you are going to have more than one person working in the application at the same time, then yes, you must split your database. One file should contain the data and it is linked to by a front end file (forms, reports, queries) which gets put on everyone's machine.

Your wording may be incorrect. You "must" split your database is not correct. You can operate with multiple people in the database at the same time, but it is advisable to split the database because bandwidth issues and other factors. However, you are able to run multiple users from the same file, at the same time. Try it out. It will work. It may not work optimally though. The biggest thing you have to consider when running a split design in future changes and getting those changes to all your users. There are helper applications that folks have created out there for Access, but they are not free. Consider your environment and whether it would be better to host SQL Server. I was hopeful that MS would make Access more like SQL, but it seems they are going a different direction. Access is a great tool, but still somewhat limited.

You don't want to use mdb format anymore. Everything should be in the newer formats.

Yes, you can have two or more users having separate front end files all changing the same database back end. There are certain methods of record locking that Access does by default to prevent collision. The default for any DAO recordset is OpenDynaset which makes the recordset watch for changes by other users and updates the local recordset. This way you always work with the most up-to-date data. But that doesn't mean your form or report refreshes with the data, it just means that the recordset behind the form or in the VBA code has the latest data.

Well no. Performance would be about the same, maybe slightly slower than just running the single file. However what you get by splitting it is that people can be accessing it simultaneously.

Elizabeth Tolulope Babalola Your Forms, Queries, and Reports ARE the front end. You only want to link the front end to tables. To prevent users from being able to modify those forms, queries, and reports you'll want to follow my advice for securing the front end in a later video.

A more important question would be why would you want to? As soon as someone gets disconnected from the back end, they will no longer be seeing the latest information, and if they were to enter something into the system how would they know it hasn't already been done. There is a way to cache data into some local tables, then when reconnected flush the data from those local tables to the back end database, but honestly you're just asking for trouble doing that. It would be much better to just get everyone set up on a VPN. That way they can be on the network from anywhere.

+ayam niyazi I'm not sure why that's happening in your environment.

You need to make the front end a file people copy from the network and put on their desktop to run. When you make changes, just post the new front end file to the network and have them re-download it. There is nothing to do to the back end file.

David Locke Let me just make sure I understand what you're saying. You have a backend data file, but as you've been developing more you'd made more tables as a part of your front end. Now you want to know how to get those new tables you've created onto the backend. Is that right?

Yes, in fact that's the whole point of splitting the database in the first place. All you have to do after you split the front end and back end as I describe in this video, is to start handing out you front end version to the people who need it. Do NOT give them the backend file. That's the one everyone will be connecting to simultaneously. Just make sure your backend file is on a SHARED FOLDER which all of the computers in your network can access. They should all be able to use the front end file to read the back end data while others are on it as well.

You can install the Access Run-Time on those computers so they can still run your front end file.

All you have to do is open your front end, then right click on the table and select "Convert To Local Table" to bring that table back into the front end file.

+Andrei Lungu This is a security feature of Access. Open up the database with Access. Go to File -> Options -> Trust Center -> Trust Center Settings -> Macro Settings. There you can select to enable all macros. Alternatively from the same Trust Center Settings window you can go to the Trusted Locations section and add the folder where your database is located.

You have the front and back ends reversed. The front end has forms, reports, and queries. The back end contains the data. You pass around a copy of the front end to everyone but leave the back end in one place on your network.

+Programming Okay, now I understand, thank you for pointing that out. So after splitting a database, users will be able to enter data into the back end tables via the front end forms?

+COtheLegend yup.

+Programming Okay great, thank you for your help!

+Alan Hunter You just pass around the same front end file.

+Programming hi, thank you for your quick reply but just to be clear as i am hearing different things from different people when i read forums or general web searches; i save the front end file as in the video, is there only only one front end in the folder? there are 12 people in my section, do they not get there own front end? or do i simply copy the file (as in right click copy) paste it to an email and send it? The reason that i ask is that i'm reading so much conflicting information and i'm trying different things but its just not happening. Please bear with me, i am so close to cracking it

I responded to Paul Tax about this. The only reason that we want the "read only" version on the network is so that no one opens it. You want them to copy the file down to their local system and run it. Once they do that it should not be "read only" anymore. Once the FE is on their local system, they will have access to the tables in the backend so make sure you are coding things and limiting access appropriately.

A web database requires Sharepoint. Essentially Sharepoint becomes your back end. I recommend that you migrate your databases to SQL server if you want to make your database more widely available. I cover how to do this in my advanced series.

I don't understand the problem. What do you mean "signed practice"?

Sorry. I meant signed package

But I figured out how to change the file extension manually

Not really. Just make sure your backend file goes somewhere on the network where everyone will have access to it.

Thank you.

You should never expose your tables to users. The data is the most critical part of an application and you should only allow users to view/edit what you want them to view/edit. So build your forms, reports, and queries in one database, and create links to the tables in your back end database.

+Caribbean Man This is true, and why migrating to a SQL server is preferable.

Forms, reports, and queries should not be in your back end file, they should be part of the front end which everyone has a version of on their local computer. The back end file should only contain data in tables.

Thank you! I found the error! Your video was VERY helpful!

+TraceguyRune There is no switchboard in Access 2013.

To your first question, yes. The data is in one place but all the front ends share that data. To your second question, yes. They only need to get the front end on their system one time, or each time you release a new version of the front end you may want them to have those changes in it. But the data that is in the tables is shared.

Do they not have a GPA?

sir I don't understand what you mean by GPA. I explained everything well. I VBA code snippet that I could use to compare the students overall averages against each other to determine who gets what position.. I hope u understand.

you can drop your email address so I can forward the access database file to u so you can make sense of what i'm saying

Well if they have a GPA (grade point average) then you just sort your students by their GPA. Here is a list of letter grades and their numerical value: A = 4.00 grade points A- = 3.70 grade points B+ = 3.33 grade points B = 3.00 grade points B- = 2.70 grade points C+ = 2.30 grade points C = 2.00 grade points C- = 1.70 grade points D+ = 1.30 grade points D = 1.00 grade points D- = 0.70 grade points WF/F=0 grade points Find the students average GPA by totaling up their grades for each class, then divide that number by the number of classes. That gives you their GPA. Then you can sort from highest to lowest in a query to see who is at the top.

I don't quite understand your question. You have a back end file which resides on a share somewhere on your network while you distribute your front end to everyone. Accdr is just a file extension which eliminates the ability to view the VBA. Just save your ACCDB FRONT END as an ACCDR file and distribute that instead if you want to prevent users from accessing the VBA.

That is my question how can I modify the accdr file and link it to my back end file I explain a little better in this forum Can you read it and help me please www.accessforums.net/access/split-database-share-front-end-please-help-48185.html#post252676

Josue Lemus I think I made the same mistake June did in the thread. ACCDE is an executable with no access to the VBA, ACCDR should be just renamed to ACCDB and it should work.

+Sam Martin No. Once you do this to the front end file that you'll be passing around, it is done.

Check out the advanced course when you're done with this series. I go over it there.

Variables only exist in memory while the application is open. If you want to store something for later use, save it to a database.

+ayam niyazi It sounds like you have two people trying to access the same record on the same table at the same time.

+ayam niyazi yes exactly that

You can't do that nor would you want to allow it. Two people should not be changing the same data at the same time. You have no way of knowing who made the right changes.

+Tuấn Cường You can move the data to SQL server but keep Access as your front end by using either linked tables, or using a DAO/ADO connection with VBA. I demonstrate how to do this in my advanced series.

Yes. Keep the back end file on the network somewhere, and distribute the front end to everyone who needs to use it.