Differences between access 97, 2000, and 2002, including backward/forward compatibility

Check out
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HP052817081033.aspx
About using an Access file with multiple versions of Access

Good Luck!

Gary

Beginning in 97, all versions are forward and backward compatible.

jimhorn, that is not 100% correct.  If you have added VBA code to an Access 2000 or newer app, and made use of the NEW code features, then you cannot easily go back to Access 97.  For instance, Access 2000 +  allows for a .AddItem method on a ComboBox, which allows your code to add items one at a time, in code, to the combobox dropdown list.  This method is NOT supported in Access 97 , and so the compiler will choke, if and when you attempt to revert to Access 97.

Also, once an Access 97 strutured MDB has been opened and CONVERTED to Access 2000 format, it can no longer be directly opened in Access 97 (you will get an "Unrecognized Database Format" error) - you would need to convert the Access 2000 MDB to the earlier version (Access 97), before it could be opened in Access 97.

AW

I stand corrected.  Other than any custom programming in features that are not present in older versions, you can use the Tools:Database Utilities:Convert... functionality to convert an mdb up or down.

Also, when I made my first post, I didn't see your earlier post.  Sorry about the duplication.

Just my 2 cents...

Most people should set up all users to the SAME version of Access.

Althought they are "usually" compatible 1 version up or down.

For example if you create a database in 2002  and by default it saves it as version 2000, for some reason you cannot view the database properties if you open it in 2000.

I have found that Access 2k3 is quite quircky. I have had several wierd things happen that seemed to 'fix' themselves after a restart of Access.  Also several methods do not work the same in Access 2k3 as they do Access97.  Personally, if things are working fine in Access97 and you don't plan on moving to SQL server....don't fix it if it ain't broke. :-)

boag2000 >> while I agree in principle, in the REAL world,that is not always possible in practice.  I once worked on an application for the US Air Force in the Pentagon in Washington DC, during a period when the Pentagon was in a state of flux between Access 97 and Access 2000 - not ALL workstations had been 'certified' by the Air Force IT powers that be to have Office 2000 installed - they are a bit paranoid about such things, but that is a whole different conversation, and as a contractor, my duty was to act like the Cavalry of the Light Brigade ("Their's was not to wonder why, their's was but to do or die..."). When it comes to the authorities of my customer, when they say jump, I have to ask "How high?" on the way up.  So some users were configured with Office 2000 and other had Office 97, but the application was deemd to be "Mission Critical" to the Office where I was working, so I created both an Access 2000 Front-end AND and Access 97 Front-end , with a common Access 97 Back-end - worked like a charm, for the 2 months that it took to get all of the Access 97 workstations certified to upgrade to Office 2000, at which point the Access 97 Front-end was 'retired' so to speak.

AW

OOPS!

Thanks Arthur Wood,
 
Sorry, perhaps I should have said: "TRY" to keep the same version, if you can.
:)

I just don't know if I would stretch it to 3 versions, as the original post implied.

Thanks for the info.

Arthur Wood - thanks for the detailed response.  After doing research from other sources, i found your response the most thorough and accurate.  I'm not sure why you have "assisted" answer.  I apologize if I slighted you.