Hi all!

I got a mdb-database in the shared documents folder of a windows-xp pc which is also in a windows workgroup. This .mdb should be also accessed from another pc in this workgroup. When I on this pc browse the shared documents folder of the other one i can see the .mdb in the list and also double click it. Access opens then but immediately shows a message box like this: Microsoft Access couldn't find file XXX. I checked the file permessions on the host computer, the file is not write protected. In the folder settings this options has this third check-box state, it's neither checked, nor unchecked... gray. Don't know if this is maybe the problem, i can not change it.

Thanks for any help!

you need read write access for each user who needs to access the file
have you checked to make certain it not an MDB/MDE problem but whats in the MDB/MDE

have you run the MDB in debug mode and see where the error actually triggers?

You mean to open the file with the shift key pressed and then start it manually by open the start form? I didn't check this, that's maybe good idea... I'll try, thanks a lot!

But what do you mean with read write access for every user? There are no such options for setting this in the file properties.. Think this security mode is not activated.

read access isn't good enough, you users must have read/write access to the data, and probably to the front end if that is separate.

Note also, if someone tries to open the mdb without sufficient read/write permissions, you may need to have everyone close out and compact/repair the mdb file since this often causes the *.ldb file to become corrupt which will be repaired once you run the compact/repair.

(Note: it only takes 1 user to corrupt an *.ldb file when trying to open an mdb if that user doesn't have sufficient permissions.)

Are all individual users able to open the file when no one else is having access to it?

I've encountered a similar problem whereby certain users needed to be "the first" to open the db. If someone else has it open, then these users cannot open the db; however, some users can open the db regardless of order.
Eventually I resolved the problem by adding the network path as a trusted intranet site, via the Internet Options under Control Panel (under the individual PC). Now everyone with the slight tweak can open it fine.

There really should be no "First" in and no one else can then open the mdb. This would possibly indicate that the person is opening the mdb exclusively (not shared) which is found under the MSAccess Tools/Options section.

Whether establishing a trusted intranet site or not is your solution, is difficult to say (but typically not the case). But again, someone opening the database "First" should not impact others not being able to open the mdb file in a normal situation. Usually this is a sign that the person opening the mdb did not have sufficient read and WRITE permissions to the folder and hence locked/corrupted the associated *.ldb file that gets created when an mdb file is first opened (which would then give you an error and prevent other users from opening the mdb file.)

I might check everyone's permissions to the folder which holds the mdb file (both backend and frontend mdb). Make sure they ALL have READ AND WRITE permissions to that folder.