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Bernard ThouinFlag for Switzerland

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Starting a vb.net from an Access app generates the infamous warning about trustworthy source

I Have just finished developing a VB.net windows form app, and I want to lauch it from my Acces-based user menu app (which checks if the user is authorized to run the app), but it comes always withe warning message box about virues and being "certain that this file is from a trustworthy source".

I've added the directory where the exe file is in the Trust Center settings to the  trusted locations list, it doesn't change anything, the warning still comes up, and when I click OK in the warning box, the vb app is started, but the warning message box remains open, and when I forcibly close it, an error message comes up, saying the hyperlink I'm using in Access to start the app "cannot be followed".

All this is very annoying, it will look like a mess to any user ! The galling thig is that starting the vb exe directly does NOT generate any warning messages...

Is there an easy way to get rid of this without having to do anything complicated such as certifying the app ? Will I have to integrate the user authorization software directly in the vb app, cutting my Access menu out in the process ?

Thanks for help
Bernard
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Scott McDaniel (EE MVE )
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Can you show images of the errors you're getting? I believe I know the one you're referring to, but a screenshot would make sure we know exactly which one you're getting.

Where is the .exe file located? Have you tried putting it in the same directory as your Access database?
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Hi Scott

Warning message uploaded.

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Norie

You appear to mention a hyperlink.

How exactly are you launching the. Net app from Access?
Hi Scott

I will be complicated for me to put the real access menu app and the vb exe in the same dir. Let me explain. Because of maintenance reason I use a 2 stage start:
- the menu app started by the users is located, say, on an E: drive,  but is a "bootstrap" app that:
   - copies the real menu app on a "user network drive", say F: , looks the same to every user but is his/her "personal" drive
   - generates a batch file on that drive F: that starts the real menu on that drive
   - the real menu app then checks the user authorization and starts the required app
   - all user apps until now are also Access and are copied as well to the F: drive and started by a batch file from that F: drive
   - this allows me to overwrite the user apps on the E: drive whenever I want with newer versions
   - Users very often forget to close apps, that's why I did the whole thing. if a user opens an Access app on E: I can't overwrite it...

in my case the required app, the vb exe is still on the main network drive E: and I use a Hyperlink. The E: drive and directory of the vb exe  is the location I added to the trusted locations.
I start the app from a pushbutton this way:

    Me.MyButton.HyperlinkAddress = <file path and name>
    Me.MyButton.Hyperlink.Follow True, False
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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Scott McDaniel (EE MVE )
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Hi again

The disabling of the hyperlink stuff is not possible, as we are working in a Citrix environment with many terminal servers, a user could be on any of them on any day, so fiddling with the registry is not an option, quite apart from the fact that me not being an administrator would probably not surely be allowed to modify the registry of any terminal server, and IT would not like to do it either.

I have actually decided to dodge the issue altogether and to integrate the user credentials control directly in the vb app...  My users would use a shortcut anyway, so if it's a shortcut to the menu or directly to the app doesn't make much difference for them, its even faster as the 2 level start of the menu takes time because of all the copying and batch file creation and running going on...

Thanks for your answers anyway, they would be useful in a "normal" environment, so you get the points.

Regards
Bernard
Thanks for the solution although it's not applicable in my case.