MS Access database on 64-bit Vista

AuntPeggy

AuntPeggy

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OK, I already know, "Get Linux", "Get a Mac", "Get a real database".

I have an application that uses an Access database to store information about image files. We are moving to 64-bit Vista. Someone has told me that Access cannot be used on 64-bit Vista because the Jet engine is incompatible with ODBC in that configuration.

Has anyone had success using Access from a 64-bit application on Vista? What are the issues?
 
AuntPeggy said:
OK, I already know, "Get Linux", "Get a Mac", "Get a real database".

I have an application that uses an Access database to store information about image files. We are moving to 64-bit Vista. Someone has told me that Access cannot be used on 64-bit Vista because the Jet engine is incompatible with ODBC in that configuration.

Has anyone had success using Access from a 64-bit application on Vista? What are the issues?
Click to expand...
Short answer is "all of the above." :)

The longer and hopefully more helpful answer I found Googling, so I haven't tried it:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windows.vista.general/browse_thread/thread/f8246178b0ac8cec said:
I had this problem and looked through all the forums without success,
but finally found a solution. I have an Access database with linked
tables that connects to an SQL server elsewhere. It worked on Windows
2000, XP, and my 32 bit Vista laptop, but not on the 64bit Vista
desktop. I tried setting up a System DSN through ODBC drivers in the
Control Panel. The test worked there, but when I opened the Access file
it said it couldn't find the ODBC driver and therefore I couldn't open
the linked tables.
The solution (found by carefully following instructions in the only
Access manual I could find that even had ODBC in the index) was to set
up the driver from within Access 2007, using Get External Data/More/ODBC
database/linked tables. That opened up the same window you get from the
Control Panel. It would not let me set a Machine connection, but did
permit a User (file level) connection. I just had to click on the SQL
server driver and the usual set of questions appeared. When I finished,
the connection worked. Once the connection was established, it also
shows up as a User DSN in the ODBC drivers via Control Panel.
I think the problem is that 64 bit Vista has another level of
security, so that it only lets you make a connection that is specific to
the file, and by doing it from inside Access, that lets the OS know that
you're dealing with a 32 bit application.
There is a bunch of stuff in other forums about how there are two
different Access drivers in different directories in Windows. I found
both of those on my computer, but didn't have a clue what to do with the
information. If you are making any kind of a connection for an Access
database, the solution seems to be not to go searching for apparently
missing drivers but to just establish the connection from inside Access
2007, where you get the old familiar list of all sorts of drivers. My
control panel User DSN window also shows a phantom Access 2007 driver
that it says doesn't exist, but all the drivers are there if you start
from inside your Access database.
Click to expand...
 
Sorry, I would only be able to support 1 and 3. (Altho I have run Oracle on Macs, but that's really as shaky as Oracle on Windows. Sure, people do it, but they do a lot of other silly things, too. Doesn't make it a good idea.)

Honestly, can't help you but couldn't resist a smart-acre drive by quip ...
 
I've never tried Access on Vista 64, so I can't be of any helpful advice except to say that both SQL Server and mySQL work in Vista 64.

Its not quite "get a real database," but close :D
 
I just asked the micro$oft weenies here ... they said "never tried it, but since it's all microsoft, I can't believe it won't work" ...
 
gprellwitz said:
Short answer is "all of the above." :)

The longer and hopefully more helpful answer I found Googling, so I haven't tried it:
Click to expand...
I have forwarded your idea to our in-house expert (a 22-year old geek) who said the problem is unsolvable.
 
gkainz said:
Sorry, I would only be able to support 1 and 3. (Altho I have run Oracle on Macs, but that's really as shaky as Oracle on Windows. Sure, people do it, but they do a lot of other silly things, too. Doesn't make it a good idea.)

Honestly, can't help you but couldn't resist a smart-acre drive by quip ...
Click to expand...
Tanks.:blowingkisses:
 
SkyHog said:
I've never tried Access on Vista 64, so I can't be of any helpful advice except to say that both SQL Server and mySQL work in Vista 64.

Its not quite "get a real database," but close :D
Click to expand...
That is my Plan C solution.
 
gkainz said:
I just asked the micro$oft weenies here ... they said "never tried it, but since it's all microsoft, I can't believe it won't work" ...
Click to expand...
Thanks. That was my assumption, too. If they know how, please let me know and I'll send that off to my "expert" too.
 
I did some googling to just for fun.

From what I found, it looks like it's doable by running everything as a 32-bit app. It seems that the trick is to set the data source to the mdb file from inside Access and not use the control panel craplet.

I've never tried it. As a matter of fact I just broke down recently and got my first Vista (32bit) machine.

Joe
 
I have Vista and installed Office Pro 2007 as part of my initial setup. I later installed an old app which accessed an Access 2001 db on an XP machine. No problem.

What I am saying is that maybe installing Office 2007 first put in a layer that allows the access to the old DB.
 
Here is what my expert (who makes it clear he thinks I am an idiot) says:
You have to keep in mind that we plan on testing 64-bit application on 64-bit operating systems.
1. The guy in the first link who suggests writing a com+ interface or whatnot isn't someone who's actually done this, it's just a solution he thinks would work. AFAIK it doesn't.
http://forums.techarena.in/vista-help/684053.htm (Greg's solution.)
2. Solution would work if application were going to remain 32-bit on 64-bit workstations. The 32-bit shell extension doesn't work on 64-bit that's the primary motivator for going 64-bit.
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...cussion/browse_thread/thread/ce1bea476f2feb70
3. The third suggestion involves compiling application in 32-bit...
4. SQL server would work I think.
Click to expand...
So basically, we need to compile a 64-bit application to run on 64-bit Vista and read data from a 32-bit Access database. Anyway, this keeps getting kicked back to me and I am not a DOS expert.
 
I'd ditch Access. Sounds like an overly-complicated solution for storing small chunks of data for your application. Something like SQLite is meant for this sort of work and just works. SQL Server or MySQL is really more database then you need.
http://www.sqlite.org/

As far as providing an actual Access fix -- I have no idea -- I'm not a Windows guy, thank god.
 
jesse said:
I'd ditch Access. Sounds like an overly-complicated solution for storing small chunks of data for your application. Something like SQLite is meant for this sort of work and just works. SQL Server or MySQL is really more database then you need.
http://www.sqlite.org/

As far as providing an actual Access fix -- I have no idea -- I'm not a Windows guy, thank god.
Click to expand...

Ahh, I remember the days when I had to defend SQL Lite to you, Jesse.

You've grown up so much :D
 
SkyHog said:
Ahh, I remember the days when I had to defend SQL Lite to you, Jesse.

You've grown up so much :D
Click to expand...
You were probably doing something stupid with it. I'm always right.
 
jesse said:
You were probably doing something stupid with it. I'm always right.
Click to expand...
Ah, Jesse, I ought to introduce you to our resident expert. Two gods working together ought to make the world spin.
 
If those last few posts don't make you grin, you have no soul. :D

I laughed out loud.
 
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