John Bartow
john at winhaven.net
Mon Jan 29 09:25:10 CST 2007
JC, What I do for every site I do development for (using Wise Installation System and modified SageKey scripts): Completely stand alone version of Access 2003 Runtime with a shortcut to the FE MDE. The BE can be A97 through A2k3. By doing this, all user will have the same end user experience - regardless of the version of Access they have installed. If there are calls to Office Objects/Active X/OLE/DLLs or special files needed such as Word/Excel templates or special fonts are required they are included and installed by the script. In some instances I check for Windows Service Packs and include links to them on either a CD or the Web. A2k3 requires certain versions of Windows/SPs). As a general rule I don't do the following, but every rule has an exception: If there is a user on site that needs to modify the FE for specific tasks then I install the FE as an MDB and all users open it via the runtime shortcut. The user(s) that need to modify it can do so by opening the MDB via there version of Access (which in this case can be A2k through A2k3 depending on their requirements.) SageKey scripts require a copy of Microsoft Access, the ODE (or VSTO) and a copy of Wise, Installshield, etc. The installation file for all of this is about 45MB plus the size of the FE. If the BE is included it would also increase the size of the install file. If the application is a general app that I distribute to more than one customer then I include an empty copy which won't overwrite an existing BE MDB file, but that isn't necessary if the BE exists and in fact is a waste of time. Installation time (on a machine that has been kept up to date with Windows Updates) is about 2 minutes or less. The same can be done with Office 97/2000/2002 versions of Access. Although at this point, unless the client has Windows 95/98/ME machines I don't bother. Can you do all this with ODE minus Wise/Sagekey? I suppose. But then I then I also have seen people on TV do their own dental work... -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of JWColby Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 7:56 PM To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' Subject: [AccessD] Runtimes - Preferably AccessXP but 2003 if absolutelyrequired Can anyone give me "just the facts ma'm" for what I need to buy to do runtimes for a single site, IOW 40 machines all at the same location. All machines are Windows 2K or XP. The application uses automation to do mail merge. Also automation to use Outlook. Outlook uses exchange server if it matters. The client currently has a mix of office 2K and XP and it causing headaches getting one version of the application to work on both versions of office everywhere, every time. I need to know the cost, how to get ahold of it etc. The Microsoft site runs you around and around (trying to avoid the cost issue I assume). John W. Colby Colby Consulting www.ColbyConsulting.com -- AccessD mailing list AccessD at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com