MOD2000: Custom Installation of Access 2000 Run-Time Component May Overwrite Access 97 Default Installation (241738)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office 2000 Developer
This article was previously published under Q241738
Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

SYMPTOMS

When you try to run Access 97 after you install an Access 2000 run-time application that was created by using the Package and Deployment Wizard, you may receive the following error message:
Can't find the database you specified, or you didn't specify a database at all.

Specify a valid database name in the command line, and include a path if necessary.

CAUSE

You have installed the Access 2000 run-time component, and the two following conditions are true:
  • You clicked Customize as the installation option on the Microsoft Access 2000 Runtime: Ready to Install page.
  • You did not change the install path on the Microsoft Access 2000 Runtime Installation Location page.
When these two conditions are met during a custom installation of an Access 2000 run-time application, the Access 2000 run-time component files are installed to the following path:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office

Installing the Access 2000 run-time component to this path overwrites the existing default installation of Office 97 or Access 97, which are installed in the same path.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the Microsoft Office 2000 Developer Service Release 1 (SR-1) FulFillment CD.

NOTE: You cannot correct this problem by downloading and installing the Microsoft Office 2000 Developer SR-1 Update because it does not include Access Runtime SR-1.

To obtain the MOD SR-1 Fulfillment CD, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

253566 MOD2000: How to Obtain and Install Microsoft Office 2000 Developer Service Release 1 (SR-1)

To temporarily work around this problem, do the following.

To repair the installation of Access 97, refer to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

235280 ACC2000: "Can't Find the Database You Specified" Error When Starting Access 97 After Upgrade to Office

To avoid this behavior on the target computer:

When the user selects the Customize option to install an Access 2000 run-time application, the user must change the path listed in the Install Microsoft Access 2000 Runtime at text box to something other than the default location. For example, a user could specify:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ART

When you distribute Access 2000 run-time applications to users who may have Access 97 installed on their computers, be sure to include instructions that state that they must either manually change the installation path when they use the Customize option, or they should avoid the Customize option and use the Install Now option instead. Although this is an extra step for your users, it ensures that existing installations of Access 97 are not affected.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.  This problem was corrected in Microsoft Office 2000 Developer SR-1.

MORE INFORMATION

When you install an Access 2000 run-time application, you have two installation options: Install Now and Customize. If you select Install Now, the Access 2000 run-time components are installed to the following folder:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ART

If you use this folder, any existing installations of earlier versions of Access are protected. If you use the Customize option, the run-time components are installed to a location that the user defines, but uses a default location of

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office

as defined in the Install Microsoft Access 2000 Runtime at text box. If you continue the installation without changing this path, the run-time components will overwrite any earlier versions of Access in this location. Access 97 uses this path as a default installation location.

IMPORTANT: After you select the Customize option, the installation path will be incorrectly set to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office, even if you click Back and then click Install Now. The Install Now option will only install to the correct default folder if you have not already clicked Customize.

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

CAUTION: If you follow the steps in this example, you modify the sample database Northwind.mdb. You may want to back up the Northwind.mdb file and follow these steps on a copy of the database.

  1. In Access, open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
  2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor.
  3. On the Add-Ins menu, click Package and Deployment Wizard.

    If the Package and Deployment Wizard is not available, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base to load the wizard:

    236143 MOD2000: How to Start the Package and Deployment Wizard

  4. In the Package and Deployment Wizard, click Package.
  5. Click Next on each page and accept the defaults until you get to the page titled Package and Deployment Wizard - Included Files.
  6. Click to select the Include Access Runtime check box. Click Next.

    NOTE: If you are asked for the location of Access run-time components, insert the Microsoft Office 2000 Developer CD, and then browse to the following file:

    <CD Drive>\ODETools\v9\AccessRT\Data1.MSI

  7. Continue clicking Next in the wizard, accepting the defaults, until the wizard is finished.
  8. After the package is created, install Access 97 on another computer into the default folder of C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office.
  9. On the same computer, start Setup for the package that you created earlier.
  10. In Setup, when you get to the page titled Microsoft Access 2000 Runtime: Ready to Install, click Customize.

    This brings up the page titled Microsoft Access 2000 Runtime Installation Location.
  11. On this page, click <<Back.
  12. Click Install Now, and continue with Setup, accepting all the defaults.

    NOTE: During Setup, you may be prompted to restart your computer one or more times.
  13. After Setup is finished, try running Access 97.
Note that you receive the error message mentioned in the "Symptoms" section of this article.

REFERENCES

For additional information about installing run-time applications, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

240964 MOD2000: Installing an Access Run-Time Application May Require Restarting the Computer Several Times

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/30/2002
Keywords:kbbug KB241738
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.