ACC2000: Changing an Option Affects Only One Instance of Access (209780)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Access 2000
This article was previously published under Q209780
This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) and to a Microsoft Access project (.adp).

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

SYMPTOMS

When any one instance of Microsoft Access is used to change an option setting, the other instances of Access that are running on the same computer will not have an immediate update to the change.

CAUSE

When Access records option changes to the system registry and/or the database itself, it will only refresh that instance which requested the change.

RESOLUTION

In order to make the option changes take effect within all instances of Access that are running on the same computer, the user needs to either shutdown and restart the other instances, or manually set the same options within all instances.

MORE INFORMATION

Option settings are stored in the system's registry or as database properties, depending upon the type of option. Access updates these registry keys and database properties any time an option setting is changed. When Access is started, those settings in the registry and database are loaded into memory so that the options do not have to be re-read every time they are needed.

When there are two or more instances of Access running, only the instance that triggered the option change is affected. When an option setting is changed, Access both updates the registry keys and/or database properties, and reloads the options into memory. The other instances do not have their memory refreshed by this update.

This is not an issue for users on separate computers, because the option settings are stored per computer and/or per database.

REFERENCES

For more information about the System.mdw, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type workgroup information file in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/30/2004
Keywords:kbprb kbusage KB209780
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