Best practice: moving from Access 2003 to Access 2010
All our users have been using Office 2003 up to now. We plan to deploy Office 2010 to the uses who will be getting Win 7 PC (we skiopped Vista and Office 2007). Our main concern is that we have a number of databases in Office 2003 that users need to access but not everyone will be getting Office 2010 at the same time, so some users with Office 2003 and some with Office 2010 will be accessing the same databases. That means I cannot just install Office 2010 everywhere and upgrade at the same time.
Most of the users work thru a frontend but some get in the db directly. While setting up GPO deployment of Office 2010 I saw there is an option to force Access 2010 to run in Access 2003 mode.
My question is this:
Are we better off to install Office 2010 without Access and remove all Office 2003 components except for Access 2003
OR
Are we better off to install Access 2010 in the forced 2003 mode instead.
One downside I see right off is that I would have to keep patching an Office 2003 product along with the Office 2010 product if I leave Access 2003 installed.
On one hand when we do get all the users running Access 2003 who access a particular database to Office 2010 we could in theory convert the database at that point to Access 2010 and remove Access 2003 and install Access 2010
On the other hand if I install Access 2010 in forced Access 2003 mode then get all those users to Office 2010 eventually, I could upgrade their database to Access 2010 but then what is the process to change their Access version from the forced Access 2003 to the real Access 2010?
Any recommendations?
Most of the users work thru a frontend but some get in the db directly. While setting up GPO deployment of Office 2010 I saw there is an option to force Access 2010 to run in Access 2003 mode.
My question is this:
Are we better off to install Office 2010 without Access and remove all Office 2003 components except for Access 2003
OR
Are we better off to install Access 2010 in the forced 2003 mode instead.
One downside I see right off is that I would have to keep patching an Office 2003 product along with the Office 2010 product if I leave Access 2003 installed.
On one hand when we do get all the users running Access 2003 who access a particular database to Office 2010 we could in theory convert the database at that point to Access 2010 and remove Access 2003 and install Access 2010
On the other hand if I install Access 2010 in forced Access 2003 mode then get all those users to Office 2010 eventually, I could upgrade their database to Access 2010 but then what is the process to change their Access version from the forced Access 2003 to the real Access 2010?
Any recommendations?
ASKER
That is what concerns me; some of our users skip the frontend. We don't really have 'developers' per se for these dbs. IT did not set them up, they just kind of grew over the years. I would prefer to move them into SQL and deny users access to the backend totally but I am not sure that would fly.
The key thing is to maintain the mdb format.
Moving your backend to SQL would definitely be ideal, but that will also push you down the road of having to actually have some development time to maintain the frontends (which sounds like isn't happening)
You probably know this, but it's a really bad idea having "users/developers per se" directly accessing your backend data. I'd start a dialogue with someone higher up on why this is a bad idea and get some approval to start forcing them to use the frontend only so you can move to SQL or atleast SQLexpress.
Moving your backend to SQL would definitely be ideal, but that will also push you down the road of having to actually have some development time to maintain the frontends (which sounds like isn't happening)
You probably know this, but it's a really bad idea having "users/developers per se" directly accessing your backend data. I'd start a dialogue with someone higher up on why this is a bad idea and get some approval to start forcing them to use the frontend only so you can move to SQL or atleast SQLexpress.
I would suggest reviewing these:
Many other links on this page also:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/access/archive/2010/06/09/access-2010-new-features-demo.aspx
And you will need to understand Trusted Locations:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/create-remove-or-change-a-trusted-location-for-your-files-HA010031999.aspx
What's New in Office 2010 for Developers
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/ff436077.aspx
mx
Many other links on this page also:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/access/archive/2010/06/09/access-2010-new-features-demo.aspx
And you will need to understand Trusted Locations:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/create-remove-or-change-a-trusted-location-for-your-files-HA010031999.aspx
What's New in Office 2010 for Developers
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/ff436077.aspx
mx
Along the lines of what kaleshire posted.
You must also try your best to let users know that they should not make any modifications to the design of the database while they run the Access 2003 format DB under Access 2007.
Editing the data is fine, I'm referring to "design changes" specifically.
You must also make sure that you , the developer, only make Design changes to the db in Access 2003, if possible.
In both of these cases, remember that many design changes are "Access 2007 Specific" and may cause issues with the DB when run under Access 2003.
(Report View, Formatted Memo Fields, Tabbed View, ...etc)
While some of these changes will trigger an alert, many will not.
That is why I most developers try to make design changes in the native Access version.
;-)
JeffCoachman
You must also try your best to let users know that they should not make any modifications to the design of the database while they run the Access 2003 format DB under Access 2007.
Editing the data is fine, I'm referring to "design changes" specifically.
You must also make sure that you , the developer, only make Design changes to the db in Access 2003, if possible.
In both of these cases, remember that many design changes are "Access 2007 Specific" and may cause issues with the DB when run under Access 2003.
(Report View, Formatted Memo Fields, Tabbed View, ...etc)
While some of these changes will trigger an alert, many will not.
That is why I most developers try to make design changes in the native Access version.
;-)
JeffCoachman
ASKER
kaleshre: you are correct, I would prefer that users not start up their own db but since I do not have to support them I can hardly tell them not to do it. The users that have created db for their own use do not worry me. I can give them Office 2010 with Access 2010 and upgrade their db w/o a problem.
It is the share db that worry me. I do not want to move them to SQL and leave them the front end cause I do not want to have to take that over. I am looking for a temporary solution to keeping the dbs working and accessible to all while we move to Office 2010 with Access 2010.
Is it better to leave Access 2003 on the PCs or to replace it with the Access 2010 in the 'forced' 2003 format?
It is the share db that worry me. I do not want to move them to SQL and leave them the front end cause I do not want to have to take that over. I am looking for a temporary solution to keeping the dbs working and accessible to all while we move to Office 2010 with Access 2010.
Is it better to leave Access 2003 on the PCs or to replace it with the Access 2010 in the 'forced' 2003 format?
The issue with having Access 2003 and 2007 installed is that after you open one version, opening the other version will result in an "Installing...." sequence.
For Acc 2003 you can just cancel to open the DB.
For Acc2007 you must let this continue...
I don't know what you mean by "forced' 2003 format?
If you open a acc2003 db in Acc2007 you can't "force" the DB to stay in the 2003 version?
Or am I missing something...
JeffCoachman
For Acc 2003 you can just cancel to open the DB.
For Acc2007 you must let this continue...
I don't know what you mean by "forced' 2003 format?
If you open a acc2003 db in Acc2007 you can't "force" the DB to stay in the 2003 version?
Or am I missing something...
JeffCoachman
ASKER
boaq2000, this issue involves Access 2010, not Acces 2007. Office 2010 offers the option to install Access in 2010 mode or Acess 2003 mode so all dbs get treated like Access 2003 is opening them, not Access 2010, so there is no upgrade or change to the db. I have not deployed Office 2010 with Access 2003 in this mode yet. Just gathering info so far.
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;-)
whomever is doing the development will want to make sure and maintain the mdb format or they will instantly cutoff your 2003 users from being able to work.